iPhone assist requested of Apple

The FBI has requested assistance from Apple to assist in the unlocking of a pair of iPhones believed to have belonged to the Saudi military student who carried out a shooting attack that killed three people and wounded eight on Dec. 6 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., NBC reported In a letter sent Dec. 6 to Apple's general counsel, the FBI said it had a court permission to search the contents, both were password-protected. "Investigators are actively engaging in efforts to 'guess' the relevant passcodes but so far have been unsuccessful," it said. FBI General Counsel Dana Boente said officials have sought help from other federal agencies, as well as from foreign experts and "familiar contacts in the third-party vendor community." That secondary reference may refer to assistance the FBI got in helping unlocking the phone of the gunman who attacked a San Bernardino, Calif., city meeting in 2015. The Justice Department took Apple to court in an effort to get the company to help the FBI open that phone. On Jan. 6, Apple said the company had been working with the government. A law enforcement official said there's another issue with one of the iPhones. The shooter may have fired a bullet into the phone. The Saudi military student apparently acted alone, according to officials, but cautioned that the investigation is not over. (Source: NBC 01/06/20) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-seeks-apple-s-help-unlocking-phones-suspected-pensacola-naval-n1111636