Apple Inc is resisting a federal court order that it help the US government break into the iPhone 5c(Review) of Rizwan Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in a December shooting in San Bernardino, California, which the government has described as a terror attack.
The following is an explanation of the technology and data privacy issues at hand.
Q. Why does the US government need Apple's help?
A. The government wants Apple to provide technical assistance to help it break into Farook's phone. Apple's mobile operating system encrypts virtually all of its data so that forensics experts cannot access email, text messages, photos or other information unless they enter a password.
A. The government wants Apple to provide technical assistance to help it break into Farook's phone. Apple's mobile operating system encrypts virtually all of its data so that forensics experts cannot access email, text messages, photos or other information unless they enter a password.
The phone requires two digital "keys" to unscramble the data: a passcode entered by the user when they want to use the device and a unique 256-bit AES key that is coded into the hardware during manufacture. The hardware key cannot be removed from the device, which prevents hackers from copying the contents of its hard drive and then cracking the passcode with the help of powerful computers.
Apple's mobile iOS system offers an auto-erase function that will wipe the device after 10 failed attempts to unlock it. The government says it is not sure if Farook enabled that function but has not attempted to unlock it because it does not want to risk losing the data.
Q. What exactly does the government want Apple to do?
A. The government has asked Apple to create a new version of iOS that disables the auto-erase function. It also requested the new software circumvent a feature that causes delays of up to one hour when nine wrong passwords are entered - making it possible to break into the phone using the "brute force" method of trying millions of different passwords. The government says it is possible for Apple to create software that will only work on the device used by Farook.
A. The government has asked Apple to create a new version of iOS that disables the auto-erase function. It also requested the new software circumvent a feature that causes delays of up to one hour when nine wrong passwords are entered - making it possible to break into the phone using the "brute force" method of trying millions of different passwords. The government says it is possible for Apple to create software that will only work on the device used by Farook.
Q. What are Apple's objections?
A. Apple says that such a tool would essentially create a "backdoor" that could be used by the FBI or others to break into any iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a letter to customers, cited the possibility of the specially created software falling into the "wrong hands" and rejected the notion that it would only be used in this single case.
A. Apple says that such a tool would essentially create a "backdoor" that could be used by the FBI or others to break into any iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a letter to customers, cited the possibility of the specially created software falling into the "wrong hands" and rejected the notion that it would only be used in this single case.
Cook also said that the move would establish a dangerous precedent. "The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone's microphone or camera without your knowledge," he said.
Q. Is Apple right?
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