Apple asked for help in Oscar Pistorius murder case

[AlphaJohn]

Quick Question: Why would you need to go to Apple in america to unlock a iphone? Surely there should be somekind of way around locking your iphone? I don't have any apple products so please excuse my ignorance.

Legality, sure they can get someone to "hack" it open but then any evidence found on it will be "null and void". I have seen it countless times where computer evidence are chucked out because of external access. How can you prove the "hacker" did not place the evidence on the phone?

Example: when they take out a drive and put it in another computer to read the data, the moment a datestamp (Normally done by AV's) is changed its bye bye evidence.

Also, I once forgot my sim card pin after watching Star Wars episode 1. It is totally possible to forget a pin. For me personally i dont even remember the pin, but rather the pattern of pressing the numbers. So if i ever have to enter it on a keypad that with the numbers swapped around I will be screwed! (for like five seconds until i realise.)

Not everyone in the world is dyslexic.

Pattern instead of number memory is normally practiced by dyslexics.

 

[Danteofdoom]

Legality, sure they can get someone to "hack" it open but then any evidence found on it will be "null and void". I have seen it countless times where computer evidence are chucked out because of external access. How can you prove the "hacker" did not place the evidence on the phone?

Example: when they take out a drive and put it in another computer to read the data, the moment a datestamp (Normally done by AV's) is changed its bye bye evidence.



Not everyone in the world is dyslexic.

Pattern instead of number memory is normally practiced by dyslexics.

Thanks for the reply. But from an end-user stand point you will still be able to unlock your own phone?

As for the dyslexia, never been diagnosed with that. But it would explain my bad spelling.

 

[SauRoNZA]

They can just check with his SP....they keep sms's for a while...

mmm prob too late now...

iMessages are encrypted by Apple. ISP/SP can't see them.

 

[Sensorei]

Let's not overcomplicate this. Nobody needs to decrypt messages. They just need to get past the lock screen PIN.

 

[AlphaJohn]

Thanks for the reply. But from an end-user stand point you will still be able to unlock your own phone?

Yep, it should in no way hinder the end user's experience. That is why Apple have to unlock it and not simply change the access code. When they done Oscar should be able to still access his phones after he "remembers" his code as if nothing has changed.

Apple as well as Microsoft also have software that can "copy" evidence in such a way that it does not interfere with the System at all. Had my laptop copied several times entering the US, either that or they confiscate it.

If you look around you will find a torr of COFFEE or 2, if you are interested.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

Quick Question: Why would you need to go to Apple in america to unlock a iphone? Surely there should be somekind of way around locking your iphone? I don't have any apple products so please excuse my ignorance.

Also, I once forgot my sim card pin after watching Star Wars episode 1. It is totally possible to forget a pin. For me personally i dont even remember the pin, but rather the pattern of pressing the numbers. So if i ever have to enter it on a keypad that with the numbers swapped around I will be screwed! (for like five seconds until i realise.)

I think you are confusing a sim pin with a lock screen pin. The sim pin is only used when you power off or restart the phone so is not used very often. A lock screen pin is used every time your device goes into standby. It is something that would be used many times a day, something that is used that often wouldnt be something you would forget easily.

 

[Creag]

Why the **** would Apple co-operate? Don't they need to insist on a court order?

Because someone was murdered and they feel a moral responsibility?

As per GGG, being seen to be uncooperative in a possible murder would be quite damaging to their reputation.

Why don't they just ask the NSA for a transcript

Or the CIA or the British or ... I guess the choices are endless these days.

 

[AnibugZA]

Bolded text and number added by me.

BS reasoning.

If you have two, three or four phones you use all the time, you will obviously be writing down the pin numbers somewhere (1). Even more so with only one phone.

How many times does it not happen that you battery goes flat while busy during the course of a day (2). Does this mean you need to replace your phone everytime the battery goes flat and you 'can't remember your pin'?

But, let's look at this case. You are charged with murder and there is an investigation surrounding your phone (3) and the contents thereon. Don't you think (4) it will be easier to say 'I can't remember my PIN'?

+1. This is so lame ... an argument with no legs to stand on (5).

(1): Writing down PINs and passwords is dangerous, insecure, and not everybody does it. I don't.

(2): This is not a daily use scenario. I understand that the phone was taken away in February and 4 months later presented to him, asking him to unlock it. I'd feel it was more than possible to have forgotten the PIN in that time. It says in the article that the phone was used "up until the night" which implies that it is NOT something that he uses "every single day" as everyone is so quick to use as justification for pre-emptively crucifying him.

(3): See point (2) above. If the phone is part of the investigation, it would have been confiscated as evidence. Even the cellphones of the police officers working on the case were confiscated.

(4): I don't "think" anything. Innocent until proven guilty. I'm saying that we need more information, so stop automatically assuming that he has intentionally forgotten the PIN when it is quite possible for it to have been forgotten.

(5): Lame joke is lame. Also, my argument is more about the fact that everybody is jumping on the "He's doing something wrong" bandwagon without all the information. The "if he has nothing to hide then he has nothing to fear" argument is dangerous and we should all be fighting against having our privacy invaded so easily.

 

[GreGorGy]

(5): Lame joke is lame.

Huh huh you said lame.

 

[nfbs]

Lame joke is lame.

Please stop it with the jokes. It is really getting old now.

 

[AnibugZA]

Please stop it with the jokes. It is really getting old now.

I wasn't making a joke. It's not funny, and I agree that it is very very old.

 

[GreGorGy]

I wasn't making a joke. It's not funny, and I agree that it is very very old.

Then you have no idea what LAME means? The double meaning? I think that is what nfbs is having a go at - it certainly is what I was on about.

 

[Night-Fury]

I don't have enough faith in the South African justice system , he's probably going to walk , bleh stranger things have happened , Protex cures aids . . . .

 

[marine1]

I don't have enough faith in the South African justice system , he's probably going to walk , bleh stranger things have happened , Protex cures aids . . . .

I agree, I think the defense is going to win this one, he may get convicted of something but I doubt he will spend a day in jail or if he does, it will be for a very short time

 

[ginggs]

I don't have enough faith in the South African justice system , he's probably going to walk , bleh stranger things have happened , Protex cures aids . . . .

Enough of the jokes now.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

I wonder what model iPhone will be available when he finished his sentence? I'd guess the iPhone 25S.
Wonder if I could go a life sentence without any technology or internet etc.

 

[marine1]

I wonder what model iPhone will be available when he finished his sentence? I'd guess the iPhone 25S.
Wonder if I could go a life sentence without any technology or internet etc.

With all the same features but a shiny new case

 

[WaxLyrical]

Quick Question: Why would you need to go to Apple in america to unlock a iphone? Surely there should be somekind of way around locking your iphone? I don't have any apple products so please excuse my ignorance.

Also, I once forgot my sim card pin after watching Star Wars episode 1. It is totally possible to forget a pin. For me personally i dont even remember the pin, but rather the pattern of pressing the numbers. So if i ever have to enter it on a keypad that with the numbers swapped around I will be screwed! (for like five seconds until i realise.)

Phantom Menace gave you amnesia?

Jeez, where's your dignity man.

 

[AlphaJohn]

With all the same features but a shiny new case

And maybe an extra row of icons?

/duck

 

[rrcatto]

Because someone was murdered and they feel a moral responsibility?

She was killed, is all we know. murder is a legal term and yet to be established. However, I believe in all trials, criminal or civil, a judge with jurisdiction must first order a company to provide info. The company should be obliged, by criminal law, NOT to render any assistance until it has first been ordered to do so by a competent court, which has jurisdiction.

This is to protect the privacy and property of individuals. To over-ride my privacy, a court order must first be obtained.

In other words, in order to gain Apple's assistance, our justice system (not the SAPS) must petition the US justice system first for a court order to compel Apple to assist our inquiries.

There must be a clear and rigorous procedure followed otherwise our privacy is open to be abused.