FBI Inundated With A Flood Of Requests To Unlock Phones

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been receiving a continuous fleet of requests by local and state law enforcement to unlock phones. Access to the content of damaged or encrypted mobile phones can go a long way in helping enforcement organizations with criminal investigations.

In the past four months, the FBI saw pleas streaming in through its Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory programs and Computer Analysis Response Team to unlock 500 phone devices deemed necessary for investigative purposes all across the country. According to a survey conducted last week, it was found that investigators could not access the content of more than 100 mobile phones. The report was based on data gathered by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and USA TODAY.

The rise in strict encryption codes and policies on phones and mobile apps are gradually making it tough to access data from them, a fact that is not going down well with law enforcement. Earlier this year, Apple had objected to develop a special version of its mobile operating system to help the FBI gain phone data of one of the San Bernardino shooters, in spite of being ordered by a federal judge.

iPhones and other smart phones are relegated to the archives of evidence rooms on account of inaccessibility to crucial data locked in them. Law enforcement authorities have no choice but to resolve cases, which include anything from white collar inquiries to kidnappings and shootings, without availing the necessary information.

The FBI took a step back last week in its legal battle with Apple over non disclosure of data contained in San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook's iPhone, after it was able to get assistance from an undisclosed outside party.  The Bureau recently said that they are being flooded with requests for forensic help that can only be possible by retrieving data from encrypted content, damaged hardware or deleted data.