FBI unlocks San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5c, plans to drop Apple case

By Steve Pak, | March 28, 2016

iPhone 5c

iPhone 5c

The FBI has been able to break the encryption of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook's iPhone 5c to access the data. Thus, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has plans to drop its case against Apple after securing a court-issued order to build a new version of iOS for hacking the smartphone. Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in a terrorist attack in the California city last December 2.

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The big news basically ends the legal battle between Apple and the feds. A DOJ statement stated that its decision to drop the case was based on third-party help to unlock the iPhone without losing any data, according to CBS News. It claims it issued the court order to hack the phone so it could fully investigate the San Bernardino mass shooting.

Last week the DOJ reported that it might have found a hacking technique to unlock the iPhone 5c. Federal prosecutors then filed for the Apple v. FBI court hearing to be delayed within 24 hours before the high-profile court case was scheduled to start. Their filing reported that an "outside party" had recommended a hacking technique that might unlock the iPhone 5c.  

The FBI has noted that the couple had been inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). However, it wanted to learn if any parties helped Farook and Malik to plan the attack.  

Farook's company had given him the iPhone that the FBI was unable to open due to the smartphone's Apple ID password.  

The feds tried to use the authority of the All Writs Act (AWA) of 1789 to force the tech giant to hack the iPhone. However, Apple argued that the law was unrelated to the San Bernardino case, its constitutional rights were being violated, and the case was an attack on the Apple brand and customer privacy.   

In related news, Pulse Secure reports that 97 percent of malware targets Android devices. However, the creator of InstaAgent malware has released another app that targets both iOS and Android users, according to Android Pit.

Many Android device users are installing apps that seem to be genuine software. However, the tight security of Apple's app store helps to prevent malicious apps from showing up on the site.

Here's a video on whether the FBI just wanted to hack one phone:


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