Getting to a point where absolutely no one can hack into your iPhone will be practically impossible, according to Apple engineers who admit no company writes perfect code.
Apple has been criticized by national security officials for making it harder for law enforcement to access much needed information on locked iPhones to solve cases. Now that the FBI has figured out a way to hack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone the debate has cooled down, but Apple engineers say they want the FBI to divulge their method, for the sake of security.
“We would love to know what this mechanism is so that we could address it and fix it in our product,” an Apple engineer told CNN. “It goes without saying normal practices are to let the manufacturer know so it’s fixed for all the customers.”
After waging a very public battle over privacy and national security, the FBI finally backed off on its demands that Apple build a backdoor into iOS because it found its own way in thanks to Israeli-tech firm Cellebrite.
Rather than tell Apple about the exploit right away, former Department of Justice official, DJ Rosenthal, theorizes the feds may hold onto it.
“The basic presumption is that the government is going to share the exploits with companies, [but] given Apple’s refusal to cooperate with the government, there’s a strong interest on the other side not to share the information,” he told CNN.
In multiple interviews, Apple CEO Tim Cook has vowed to continue fighting for the rights of US citizens against the government. At the company’s iPhone SE keynote, Cook reiterated his stance that Apple will push for stronger encryption to ensure the privacy and safety of its customers.
