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        Judge Orders Apple to Help FBI Access California Shooter's Phone

   by VOA News

   A U.S. judge issued an order Tuesday for Apple to help the FBI access
   an iPhone used by one of the two shooters who killed 14 people in a
   December attack in San Bernardino, California.

   Authorities have been investigating whether Syed Rizwan Farook and his
   wife, Tashfeen Malik, had any militant ties, but have been unable to
   access Farook's locked iPhone without his password.

   U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym said in her order that
   Apple shall provide software to bypass an auto-erase function that
   deletes content from iPhones if someone enters 10 incorrect passwords.

   With that protection gone, the FBI could repeatedly try combinations
   without risking losing text message, phone call logs or web browsing
   data.

   The court order says the new software will be coded in such a way that
   it will only work on Farook's phone, and that Apple has five days to
   object if it thinks the order is "unreasonably burdensome."

   Apple boosted encryption on its phones in 2014 after increased scrutiny
   on digital privacy.  The government has complained that the higher
   security measures make criminal and national security investigations,
   such as the California shootings, more difficult.

   Tuesday's order gives Apple the option of providing the government with
   alternative ways to access Farook's phone, as long as the methods
   comply with the requirements to bypass the auto-erase feature, allow
   for the FBI to guess passwords, and ensure no other software on the
   phone will delay password tries.
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   -california-shooter-phone/3194350.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/judge-orders-apple-to-help-fbi-access-california-shooter-phone/3194350.html