Wow. So much facepalm in your post. Seriously, don’t post when you are even remotely unsure, because you’re talking to people who do this for a living.
A “backdoor” is exactly what they wanted. They attempted to open the phone 10 times, and after the 10th, the data was removed from device. This is done by scrambling the EEPROM on the mainboard. The only way to unscramble that would be to reverse engineer the encryption algorithm or to provide the hash and salt used to generate the algorithm, thereby providing a way to recover the data. This isn’t a lie, this is cold hard fact.
The FBI was explicitly asking for Apple to provide the keys to their algorithm. Why is this pertinent? Apple doesn’t have a KEY to open your phone, they have the algorithm used to generate that key. That means that they could generate a key very similar to the one your phone uses, but the chances of duplicating the key to the bit is a quantum-level impossibility.
Unlike Google and Microsoft, Apple does not retain ownership rights of your data (read your EULA) on the phone itself. If the data is stored in their cloud (i.e. iTunes/iCloud), free game. Otherwise, your device is as secure as you want to make it, which is EXACTLY how it should be.
I would offer you the same advice. I program mostly in Assembly and C++. I design and build microprocessor and PC based stuff for people. (Mostly SCADA and control stuff.)
A “backdoor” is exactly what they wanted. They attempted to open the phone 10 times, and after the 10th, the data was removed from device. This is done by scrambling the EEPROM on the mainboard. The only way to unscramble that would be to reverse engineer the encryption algorithm or to provide the hash and salt used to generate the algorithm, thereby providing a way to recover the data. This isn’t a lie, this is cold hard fact.
Well sure it is, except for the part about the "back door." Everything else you said is true. A "Back Door" is a secret hack to allow someone direct entry into the system. This not only doesn't allow direct entry into the system, it is also known to all and sundry parties. Therefore it would be more accurately described as a "Front Door Bell." But whatever you call it, Apple would still have all the keys to it under the FBI court filing.
The FBI was explicitly asking for Apple to provide the keys to their algorithm.
No they weren't. This was an ACCUSATION that came from the Lying Squad at Apple inc. READ THE COURT FILING. The FBI was asking for no such thing.
But i'm a reasonable man. If you can show me in the FBI's court filing where they asked for the keys to Apple's encryption algorithm, i'll admit I was wrong.
From everything I have read on the subject, that allegation appears to be completely made up, and came directly from Apple inc.
If you cannot find the FBI's original court filing, let me know and i'll see if I can find it. It's been posted in my history numerous times, but it's pretty far back there.