Australia's government will debate proposed legislation before the end of this year that could force Apple and other companies to introduce backdoors into their products and services, such as the iPhone or iMessage, under the guise of assisting with national security and law enforcement investigations.
The FBI has for months bemoaned the threat encrypted cellphones pose to ongoing investigations, saying investigators were locked out of some 7,800 devices last year. A new report, however, claims the agency's figures are grossly inflated.
A new bill being proposed in U.S. Congress would theoretically ban any attempt at imposing legal backdoors into devices like Apple's iPhone.
A group made up of Apple and other major technology companies is increasing its efforts to fight attempts by government agencies to force the addition of encryption backdoors, following reports US law enforcement bodies are forming new proposals to gain access to protected data.
New estimates from a security researcher suggest GrayKey, a digital forensics tool in active use by U.S. law enforcement agencies, is capable of cracking Apple's standard six-digit iPhone passcode in an average of 11 hours. Longer codes, however, could take years to process. Here's how to beef up your handset's security.
Former FBI director James Comey is extremely critical about Apple, other tech companies, and their policies when it comes to encryption in his new book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership."
A bipartisan group within the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday, looking for answers on why the agency took Apple to court to unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook.
With the help of the iPhone-cracking GrayKey, local police departments and government agencies alike are gaining the ability to crack the security in the iPhone in ever-greater numbers, a new report says.
An investigation into the FBI's aggressive attempt to force Apple to assist in the unlocking of an iPhone tied to 2015's San Bernardino shooting suggests a lack of communication, red tape and perhaps political motives were at play in taking the case to court.
Apple's senior VP of software engineering maintained the company's hard line on encryption in response to a story saying the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice are renewing their pursuit of backdoors for searches by law enforcement.
The forensic tool known as 'GrayKey' has grave privacy and security implications, a report into the iPhone-unlocking tool suggests, as it has the potential of being misused by thieves and other criminals if the compact device is stolen from members of law enforcement.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was on Tuesday spotted in Capitol Hill where he reportedly lunched with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee who has taken an interest in digital encryption and privacy.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has continued his fight to make it easier to defeat the encryption-based security of devices like Apple's iPhone, declaring in a speech at Boston College that these security systems could be designed in a way to help law enforcement agencies, as well as updating laws to keep up with changes in technology.
Documents recently aired in an ongoing investigation into the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton probe show texts between two agency officials discussing 2016's encryption debate, offering a revealing look at government sentiment at the time.
Despite the appearance of conflict between Apple and U.S. law enforcement, the company is not only cooperating in many search requests but actually training the FBI and other police forces.
FBI officials continue their attack on Apple's iPhone encryption, with the latest remarks against the company's moves coming from a senior forensics examiner — and only one day after similar remarks were made by the FBI director.
More than a year after the last high-profile showdown between the FBI and Silicon Valley over widespread encryption, recently-installed FBI Director Christopher Wray again signaled that his agency will continue to fight for access.
The Texas Rangers have served Apple with search warrants for data linked to the iPhone of Devin Kelley, who killed 26 people at a church in Sutherland Springs near San Antonio.
In the first 48 hours after Devin Kelley opened fire at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people, neither the FBI nor other law enforcement agencies asked for Apple's help in unlocking Kelley's iPhone or linked accounts — possibly missing a critical opportunity, according to one report.
The Sutherland Springs church shooting in Texas is likely to restart the smartphone encryption debate, with the FBI in possession of the shooter's locked and encrypted smartphone.
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Malcolm Owen
Mikey Campbell
Roger Fingas
AppleInsider Staff
Stephen Silver
Mike Wuerthele
