It's Over: The FBI says it has hacked into the San Bernardino shooter's phone without Apple's help

Business Insider ^ | 03/28/2016 | Kif Leswing

[SeekAndFind]

Apple won a major victory in its showdown with the government when the US Justice Department (DOJ) abandoned its plans on Monday to force the company to write software to bypass iPhone security measures.

The Justice Department told a federal court on Monday that it no longer needed Apple's help to access data on an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, and requested that its original order for Apple's technical assistance be withdrawn.

According to the DOJ, the reason it withdrew is because it was successfully able to access the data on the iPhone without Apple's help.

Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym vacated the original order.

Last week, the DOJ asked to delay a hearing over the issue because the FBI said it had found a "third-party" that may have been able to get into shooter Syed Farook's iPhone, meaning that Apple's help would not be needed. Monday's developments indicate that the FBI was successful.

The DOJ said in a statement:

"The FBI has now successfully retrieved the data stored on the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone and therefore no longer requires the assistance from Apple required by the Court Order. The FBI is currently reviewing the information on the phone, consistent with standard investigatory procedures.

It remains a priority for the government to ensure that law enforcement can obtain crucial digital information to protect national security and public safety, either with cooperation from relevant parties, or through the court system when cooperation fails. We will continue to pursue all available options for this mission, including seeking the cooperation of manufacturers and relying upon the creativity of both the public and private sectors."

[mrsmith]

Hopefully people in the field take the problem seriously.

[Cyberman]

What problem?