U.S. President Donald Trump recently added his voice on the growing calls for Apple to do its part in the ongoing probe of the Pensacola shooting. The FBI is asking Apple to unlock the iOS devices recovered from the shooter, identified as Saudi air force officer Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, which the iPhone maker declined.
Alshamrani was killed by responding to security officers, so there is no chance for him to unlock the iPhone 5 and iPhone 7 collected by police investigators. The FBI said its job would be made easier if Apple will just cooperate. Trump echoed that sentiment, further adding pressure for the company to give in.
However, it appeared that Apple's participation is no longer warranted. Forbes said in a report that the FBI has the technology to perform a task that the agency is attempting to pass on to the tech giant.
Specifically, the FBI has in its possession of hacking hardware known as "GrayKey," which the report said was used in a previous case where the unlocking of an iPhone model was performed. That particular probe successfully opened a device identified as an iPhone 11 Pro Max, and GrayKey was used.
It is believed that the hacking tool is still with the FBI, so it seemed baffling why the agency is asking for help that it does not require in the first place. GrayKey did the work on the latest iPhone model, and it is assumed to be more secure than the older models so it can do the same on Alshamrani's iPhone 5 and iPhone 7, perhaps even with relative ease.
So why is Apple getting the heat from the government and being pressured to take part in a federal investigation?
According to 9to5Mac, Apple is being dragged into the Pensacola case possibly for two things. One is that the government is looking to force Apple's hands into including a backdoor on its hardware and software products. That way, it will be easier for investigators to crack open Apple devices in the event an incident like Pensacola occurs again.
And if the practice by Apple, supposedly demanded by the government, to provide an opening on its products becomes a standard, the FBI will save a lot of money in future investigations. The agency will no longer need to purchase hacking kits like the GrayKey that could easily cost between hundreds of thousands to millions.
Also, the same report suggested the pressure being applied to Apple was finely calibrated so that the U.S. Congress will take notice and pass legislation that will legally require tech companies like Apple to comply with requests for cooperation sent by government agencies.
