The FBI was able to hack into Trump shooter's phone using a tiny hacking device. Here's how

Despite the prevalence of many ‘hacking’ devices in law enforcement agencies across the US, the FBI has repeatedly requested a “good guy back door” from companies like Apple, which has steadfastly resisted, citing consumer privacy concerns Apple, if compelled to hand over data, can only provide what's stored in iCloud, which can be minimal if the user has enabled Advanced Data Protection or simply refuses to store much of his or her data on the cloud. Details on how the FBI eventually bypassed the phone’s security remain unclear, but this development highlights how sourcing evidence from encrypted devices in high-profile cases has evolved since the Department of Justice’s attempts to force Apple to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter nearly a decade ago. In other cases where the FBI demanded access to data stored in a locked phone, like the San Bernardino and Pensacola shootings, the FBI unlocked devices without Apple’s help, often by purchasing hacking tools from foreign entities like Cellebrite. Despite the prevalence of both these devices in law enforcement agencies across the US, the FBI has repeatedly requested a “good guy back door” from companies like Apple, which has steadfastly resisted, citing consumer privacy concerns.