Now that the FBI has cracked into the San Bernardino iPhone, a new debate has been raised over who helped them... Israeli mobile forensics firm Cellebrite -- or professional hackers-for-hire.
There were numerous reports in the media at the end of last month -- including a post on Forbes -- which said the FBI used a mobile extraction device from Cellebrite, a division of Sun Corp., to hack into the shooter's iPhone 5c. In the post, cybersecurity expert John McAfee asserts the FBI knew all along they could unlock an iPhone with a Cellebrite UFED Touch -- but the FBI was less interested in
A follow up post on Forbes reports the U.S. government has spent millions of dollars on mobile forensics and smart phone hacking tools from Cellebrite over the past decade. Ron Serber, co-CEO at Cellebrite, declined to be interviewed and said in a message exchange “Sorry, but we are not commenting on this.”
A story in the Washington Post last week reports the FBI enlisted the services of professional hackers -- and not Cellebrite -- to hack into the San Bernardino iPhone. The Washington Post did not name a source in their story.
In a follow up email exchange, McAfee was asked if he stood by his claims that Cellebrite helped the FBI -- or if he believed newer reports claiming the FBI was assisted by unnamed paid hackers. "The Washington Post's source is wrong" says McAfee. "Do you think the hacking underworld has more information than them (Israeli cybersecurity companies)? The FBI knows this" added McAfee. McAfee would not name a source of his own, but went on to say "Rumors are also rampant that Apple did it for them (the FBI). Also false. It's easy to get a random source for a story. The Post is just flat wrong. All I can tell you." McAfee also made reference to how much Israeli companies are pouring into cybersecurity.
Who helped the FBI? Cellebrite? Paid hackers? Send tips here.
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