Apple rejects order to unlock gunman’s phone

Apple will contest a court order to help FBI investigators
access data on the phone belonging to San Bernardino
gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook.
The company had been ordered to help the FBI
circumvent security software on Farook’s iPhone, which
the FBI said contained crucial information.
In a statement, Apple chief executive, Tim Cook said:
“The United States government has demanded that Apple
take an unprecedented step which threatens the security
of our customers.”
“We oppose this order, which has implications far
beyond the legal case at hand.”
Since September 2014, data on most Apple devices –
such as text messages and photographs – have been
encrypted by default, the BBC reports.
It means if a device is locked, only the passcode can be
used to access the data. If 10 incorrect attempts at the
code are made, the device will automatically erase all of
its data.

Apple said even its own staff cannot access the data – a
move the company made following the Edward Snowden
revelations into government surveillance.
The FBI has asked Apple to do two things.
Firstly, it wants the company to alter Farook’s iPhone so
that investigators can make unlimited attempts at the
passcode without the risk of erasing the data.
Secondly, it wants Apple to help implement a way to
rapidly try different passcode combinations, to save
tapping in each one manually.