Isn’t a fingerprint, “individualized encryption”?
Now, if you go to the 6 digit password and bypass using the fingerprint - aside from torture, this is nearly undefeatable. Using conventional thinking. The present design (in iPhone 5c) kept the count of attempts on external RAM; however with virtualization - you can make virtual copies of the iPhone in software and try various combinations, and as the attempts fail - the virtual iPhones lock up.
I call this “unconventional thinking”.
So, you just keep creating virtual copies of the iPhone and attempting new numbers on the virtual copies. Just requires a pretty large mainframe to make a few million virtual iPhones. Eventaully, one of those virtual iPhones will unlock. Then, you know the code - then you use that code on the actual iPhone.
But, this requires hard, physical access to the actual iPhone. It requires NOTHING from Apple, no cooperation - nothing at all. It requires no violation of the perp’s rights, no torture, drugs of violations of any sort. Just some time, money and effort.
All you need to do is have an accurate virtualization of the perp’s iPhone and iOS; which you should be able to lift from the actual iPhone.
With that said; it’s a game of cat and mouse. As an engineer, my task will be to make the game more and more difficult - with the goal of “impossible”. The opposition’s task is to find a way to make “impossible”, “possible”.
Obviously I referred to “individualized encryption” provided by the manufacturer of the device.
Assuming you’re not misrepresenting that intentionally...
Perhaps an example would engage you.
I retired from repairing and maintaining automated lines ten years ago. At that time we had the ability to record every part in a unit, down to it’s ser number.
You’ll remember the ‘clipper chip’ proposal- which chip would allow access to every device which had one?
Now, however, a ‘clipper chip’ (or software/firmware) that is individually accessible can be put in a device and recorded so that the manufacturer can give access to that ONE INDIVIDUAL DEVICE upon proper legal request.
The most significant extra expense is maintaining the records securely.