This Is How Much FBI Is Paying to Cellebrite to Unlock San Bernardino Shooter’s iPhone

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 26 Mar 2016

iPhone privacy

A report from Reuters from earlier this week indicated that the FBI has hired an Israeli firm called Cellebrite to hack into the iPhone 5c of the San Bernardino shooter. Now, it looks like the FBI is paying well over $15,000 to the Israeli company for the job.

Records show that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has signed a $15,278.02 contract with Cellebrite for forensics work on March 21, just a day before the FBI vs. Apple’s hearing was scheduled.

Apple-FBI-Cellebrite

$15,000 to unlock an iPhone might seem like a lot, but if Cellebrite is able to unlock Farook’s iPhone 5c for the FBI, it will allow other government agencies to unlock other iPhones that they have in their custody. Whether Cellebrite is successfully able to unlock Farook’s iPhone or not, still remains doubtful though.

The FBI was all set to meet Apple in the court on March 22nd, but the DOJ requested the court just a day before the hearing to postpone it for two weeks since the FBI had discovered a new method to unlock Farook’s iPhone that did not require Apple’s help.

[Via BGR]