Why the FBI can't just hack a copy of the San Bernardino iPhone

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee met to have an open discussion over the balances between privacy and national security, especially as it pertains to the ongoing battle between Apple and the FBI

During the hearing, which took place in two sessions and over five hours, members of Congress had a chance to question FBI Director James Comey over some of the specifics in the San Bernardino investigation at the heart of this discussion.

One of the questions raised over and over again was: Has the FBI exhausted all other technical avenues of unlocking the iPhone 5C used by San Bernardino gunman Syed Farook? And each time he was asked, Comey responded yes — the agency had already tried everything it could and that is it why it asked a judge to issue an order compelling Apple to build special software that would allow the FBI hack the phone's passcode and get past the lock screen. Read more...