By Chris Smith
The FBI has seemingly admitted defeat to Apple in its quest to force the company to build an insecure version of its OS to load onto the iPhone owned by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. And that might be a good thing. However, a public court battle between Apple and the FBI might have been a lot better, even if Apple risked being forced to unlock the iPhone.
Talking to CNBC, cyber security specialist John McAfee warns that Apple might not like the FBI's new alternative method for unlocking the iPhone 5c, even though they'll be doing so without Apple's help.
"Apple and Tim Cook are not going to be happy with what the FBI has come up with," he said. "It's not worse than a universal master key, but it's much much easier to get into a phone with it."
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The accused terrorist in the San Bernardino case did not own the iPhone in question: it is the property of the county government where he worked, and it is because the FBI asked that agency to change a password that this affair started.