FBI Wanted To Unlock US Shooter's iPhone. It Turned To A Little-Known Firm

The identity of the hacking firm has remained a closely guarded secret for five years. Even Apple didn't know which vendor the FBI used, according to company spokesman.

The iPhone used by a terrorist in the San Bernardino, Calif., shooting was unlocked by a small Australian hacking firm in 2016, ending a momentous standoff between the U.S. government and the tech titan Apple. Azimuth Security, a publicity-shy company that says it sells its cyber wares only to democratic governments, secretly crafted the solution the FBI used to gain access to the device, according to several people familiar with the matter. The iPhone was used by one of two shooters whose December 2015 attack left more than a dozen people dead. The identity of the hacking firm has remained a closely guarded secret for five years. Even Apple didn't know which vendor the FBI used, according to company spokesman Todd Wilder. But without realizing it, Apple's attorneys came close last year to learning of Azimuth's role - through a different court case, one that has nothing to do with unlocking a terrorist's device. Five years ago, Apple and the FBI both cast the struggle over the iPhone as a moral battle. The FBI believed Apple should help it obtain information to investigate the terrorist attack. Apple believed that creating a back door into the phone would weaken security and could be used by malicious actors. The FBI sought a court order to compel Apple to help the government. Weeks later, the FBI backed down after it had found an outside group that had a solution to gain access to the phone.