US government cracks iOS security without Apple’s help

The US Department of Justice has said that it has successfully cracked the iPhone at the centre of the security dispute between Apple and the FBI.

In February Apple hit the headlines when it accused the FBI of threatening digital security after the agency demanded that that the company help it access private information stored in the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters.

What followed was a back and fourth between tech leaders, who by and large backed Apple, and officials who criticised it for refusing to abide by government orders.

Now the authorities have stated that they have managed to crack iOS security unaided, and abandoned its efforts to force Apple to play ball.

Apple has as a result once again claimed that the request should never have been made in the first place. It added that while it will continue to help authorities where appropriate, it will also work to further increase the security of its handsets and devices in the face of what it sees as increasingly sophisticated attacks on data security.

Reports suggest the government was aided by an unnamed private security company. Indeed, the assistance of a third party of some sort has been confirmed. It remains entirely possible that Apple will seek to obtain details of just how the crack was achieved.