Israeli firm helping FBI to open encrypted iPhone: Report
Date
3/23/2016 10:10:16 AM
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TEL AVIV: Israel's Cellebrite aprovider of mobile forensic software is helping the U.S.Federal Bureau of Investigation's attempt to unlock an iPhoneused by one of the San Bernardino California shooters theYedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Wednesday.
If Cellebrite succeeds then the FBI will no longer need thehelp of Apple Inc the Israeli daily said citingunnamed industry sources.
Cellebrite officials declined to comment on the matter.
Apple is engaged in a legal battle with the U.S. JusticeDepartment over a judge's order that it write new software todisable passcode protection on the iPhone used by the shooter.
The two sides were set to face off in court on Tuesday buton Monday a federal judge agreed to the government's request topostpone the hearing after U.S. prosecutors said a "third party"
had presented a possible method for opening an encrypted iPhone.
The development could bring an abrupt end to the high-stakeslegal showdown which has become a lightning rod for a broaderdebate on data privacy in the United States.
Cellebrite a subsidiary of Japan's Sun Corp hasits revenue split between two businesses: a forensics systemused by law enforcement military and intelligence thatretrieves data hidden inside mobile devices and technology formobile retailers.
Reuters