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BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones has met with representatives of the Israeli company Cellebrite, which helps police forces gain access to the data on the mobile phones of suspected criminals. They were rumoured to have aided the FBI in gaining access to the iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter (though some reports contradict this). From the article:
It's an Israeli company that helps police forces gain access to data on the mobile phones of suspected criminals.
Cellebrite was in the headlines earlier this year when it was rumoured to have helped the FBI to crack an iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter.
Now the company has told the BBC that it can get through the defences of just about any modern smartphone. But the firm refuses to say whether it supplies its technology to the police forces of repressive regimes.
[...] Mr Ben-Moshe claimed that his firm could access data on "the largest number of devices that are out there in the industry".
Even Apple's new iPhone 7?
"We can definitely extract data from an iPhone 7 as well - the question is what data."
He said that Cellebrite had the biggest research and development team in the sector, constantly working to catch up with the new technology.
He was cagey about how much data could be extracted from services such as WhatsApp - "It's not a black/white yes/no answer" - but indicated that criminals might be fooling themselves if they thought any form of mobile communication was totally secure.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2016, @07:15PM
"We can definitely extract data from an iPhone 7 as well - the question is what data."
This is the type of answer which sounds meaningful, but isn't. I can extract data from an iPhone 7 as well. If you hand me one, I can determine if the phone has a charge, if the phone has a locking system, and even the type of locking system the owner has chosen to use.
I only wonder why they chose to give this kind of ominous and omnipotent sounding non-answer. Are they trying to scare people, are they trying to hide how little (or possibly how much) data they are able to extract, are they trying to drum up new business, or something else?
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2016, @07:56PM
They probably have people inside companies so its a simple task to break the devices. They have the keys. If they cannot get the keys, they threaten manufacturers with attacks and total destruction until the manufacturer gives in.
this kind of ominous and omnipotent sounding non-answer
They give non-answers like the above. They make non-arguments: "how can anyone argue with that?" It is a characteristic of that race. They work their magic through suggestion.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2016, @09:46PM
If you just hadn't added "characteristic of that race" you may have had a decent point to discuss. As it stands, you're an asshole.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2016, @11:33PM
I think that was an admission that they can't break into everything. Some data is vulnerable to their hacks, some not.
They have no need to be ominous, they have the market cornered there. They most likely deal with oppressive governments (haha he has no info on that uh huh) and don't want their shortcomings or capabilities known.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 27 2016, @12:44AM
For me it just says, you can't trust anything coming from that country, so check the Made In label before you buy.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Tuesday September 27 2016, @01:55AM
So made in China it is then?
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Tuesday September 27 2016, @05:34AM
"You can find a phone that's not manufactured in the People's Republic--if you're willing to hunt," said a 2012 story.
https://www.cnet.com/news/are-any-smartphones-not-made-in-china/ [cnet.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 27 2016, @05:20PM
Wait, Verizon put a "Cellebrite" app on my phone (antique Treo) when I got the account with them.
Coincidence?