Law enforcement agencies – despite protests from privacy advocates – have long been trying to access smartphone .
Now, a mysterious UK start-up called Grayshift – which reportedly has a former Apple security engineer on staff – is providing iPhone unlocking tools to police officers, according to Motherboard.
The GrayKey is a box that measures 4×4 centimeters and has two Lightning cables on the front, according to a publication from security software company Malwarebytes.
According to Forbes, Grayshift claims that the device only works with iOS 10 and 11, with iOS 9 compatibility in the future. Devices ranging from the iPhone X to the 6 are supported, as are various iPad models.
There are two variants of GrayKey: The $15,000 version that requires an internet and only allows 300 uses, and the $30,000 version that works offline and allows infinite uses.
The Maryland and Indiana State Police have already purchased GrayKey, and police departments in other areas will acquire it in the future.
The Secret Service is reportedly planning to buy a half-dozen of them, and the State Department has already acquired the technology. The Drug Enforcement Administration is also interested.
It can take anywhere from two hours to more than three days to find an iPhone's passcode, depending on the length of the code.
When ready, the passcode appears on a black screen and the iPhone's data is uploaded to GrayKey once it's unlocked.
GrayKey competes with the service provided by Israeli company Cellebrite, which unlocks smartphones for $5,000.
If released on the black market, the more expensive version of GrayKey could be a valuable tool, potentially allowing thieves to unlock and resell stolen phones. The cheaper GrayKey is geofenced, meaning it can only be used on one network.
Of course, GrayKey is only good as long as there are vulnerabilities that haven't been patched yet, thus continuing the never-ending battle between Apple and law enforcement over your iPhone!
