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The FBI paid out more than $1 million to help them hack into an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters, it has been revealed.
FBI director James Comey revealed the figure yesterday, replying to a question from the press regarding the size of the payout required to access a tool that helped them break into the iPhone, replying: “More than I will make in the remainder of this job, which is seven years and four months, for sure.” ABC News reports that this puts the amount within the ballpark of $1.3 million.
The FBI was forced to pay out this sum of money after Apple refused to provide the government with a backdoor to effectively bypass the iPhone’s security systems such as passcodes and TouchID, with Apple CEO Tim Cook penning an open letter outlining the security issues this would present to iOS users. Cook wrote: “The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.” However, the FBI later hacked into the iPhone 5c that was found in the San Bernardino shooters’ vehicle without Apple’s help.
Apple CEO Tim Cook. (Image Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
It is understood that the FBI handed the money over to a private party, who granted them access to a tool that allowed them to break into Syed Farook’s iPhone. While the exact methods are still unknown, Apple is legally allowed to file a court order against the bureau demanding that they reveal how they unlocked the iPhone. However, the FBI can still refuse to comply with these demands, similar to Apple’s response to their court order.
The FBI managed to successfully break into the iPhone a month after the court order was made public knowledge. The FBI has claimed that only a “narrow slice” of phones can be accessed using this method, which if they are to be believed, means that the government will not be able to access all iPhone models using this method.
