IG Report: FBI Failed to Exhaust All Options in San Bernardino Encryption Case
“The FBI’s leadership went straight to the nuclear option -- attempting to force Apple to circumvent its encryption,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in response to a DOJ Inspector General report that the FBI failed to explore all in-house options…
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before forcing Apple to help the agency access a terrorist’s iPhone following a 2015 San Bernardino, California, attack. The FBI’s Remote Operations Unit wasn't consulted before then-FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee in February 2016 that encryption was hindering the investigation, said the report. About a month later, DOJ prosecutors said the FBI had found a way to bypass an iPhone security feature and no longer needed help from Apple, as directed by a court order (see 1603280054). Encryption back doors would have “catastrophic effects on cybersecurity,” making data access easier for hackers, Wyden said.