[hanamizu]

Apple doesn’t have the passcode, the phone has it but it is encrypted. It’s not a fancy passcode—usually only 4 digits. Problem is the phone automatically wipes itself after so many failed attempts to enter the passcode—so brute force won’t work. The government is ordering Apple to write a new IOS that will disable the security feature. It can’t write an IOS for just this one phone—it will be able to break all IPhones’ security.

It really is amazing when you think of it—a 4-digit passcode is unbreakable by our government’s best and brightest. (I keep thinking of SpaceBalls where the secret code is 1234, which is the same as the President’s suitcase. I wonder I f they tried 1234 just to see?)

[Georgia Girl 2]

OK. Thanx. I get it. Yeh

[TexasGator]

“It really is amazing when you think of it—a 4-digit passcode is unbreakable by our government’s best and brightest. “

You don’t ‘break’ a passcode.

[Paladin2]

Why can’t a copy of the memory (disk equivalent) be made and then various instances of same be interrogated over and over?

[PIF]

4 digits is the default ... they could have used a 6 digit if they so chose.