Police iPhone Decryption Sees High Demand, Apple Makes Them Wait

It turns out that the security features on the iPhone are so robust, that police are unable to decrypt them in order to gain access to possibly crucial information on suspects' devices. This has led to federal agencies getting a hold of Apple in order to decrypt iPhones for them, but it turns out that so many devices are being requested for decryption, that Apple had to make a waiting list.

While forensics teams are known for having the technology to hack into computers for vital information, it seems that the iPhone is one device that authorities are having trouble with, according to CNET. Specifically, an agent from the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that we was added to a wait list by Apple in order to get an iPhone 4S decrypted, and it took approximately four months to finally get the device unlocked.

Apple's iMessage service has been hailed as a "challenge" to break into, as all messages sent between iOS users are encrypted. Last month, the US Drug Enforcement Administration had trouble breaking into iMessage while trying to tap into suspects' text messages, anad they most likely phoned Apple for help.

Of course, this is good news for anyone that's paranoid about an outsider trying to hack into their iPhone's deepest corners. Users can enable a password lock on their devices for added security, but we all know that doesn't quite work all the time, as numerous loopholes have been found that give users access to devices even with a password lock enabled. While it's highly unlikely that your phone will slip into the hands of someone who can quickly bypass a lock screen, it's certainly something that doesn't make us feel at ease.

Then again, iOS devices will be receiving the nod from the US Department of Defense as being secure enough to be used inside the Pentagon. As we all know, the Pentagon has some pretty confidential stuff that they deal with, so having secure devices is a must, and if forensics team can't even break into an iPhone, that must say something about its security robustness.

SOURCE: CNET