FBI Paid $900,000 to Break into San Bernardino Shooter’s iPhone 5c - iPhoneHeat

FBI Paid $900,000 to Break into San Bernardino Shooter’s iPhone 5c

Remember the San Bernardino shooting incident that resulted in a battle between FBI and Apple over getting access to the data of the shooter’s iPhone 5c? While Apple stood firm and declined to honor FBI’s demands, the law enforcement agency, however, managed to hire an unknown third-party to get the shooter’s iPhone unlocked.

FBI logo

After the report of unlocking terrorist’s iPhone 5c spread, FBI restrained from revealing the sum the law enforcement agency paid to get access to the data inside the phone. Some of the reports and rumors back then suggested the sum be anywhere between less than $1 million to $1.3 million+. Since FBI was not willing to reveal the exact amount, a trio of news agency filed a lawsuit to find out the exact amount that was paid by the agency to get the terrorist’s iPhone 5c unlocked.

Now, US senator Dianne Feinstein made a statement related to the total amount paid for the unlock while questioning FBI Director James Comey at a Senate Judiciary Committee last week. The Senator seems to have confirmed in her statement that the FBI paid $900,000 to unlock the iPhone 5c.

“I was so struck when San Bernardino happened and you made overtures to allow that device to be opened, and then the FBI had to spend $900,000 to hack it open,” said Feinstein, D-Calif. “And as I subsequently learned of some of the reason for it, there were good reasons to get into that device.”

Despite agency’s efforts to get the device unlocked, the FBI ultimately found nothing of significant importance in the attacker’s iPhone 5c. While the total amount paid by the FBI has now been revealed, the third-party that the agency hired to do it still remains a secret.

0 comments… add one

Leave a Comment