Law enforcement agencies — despite protests from privacy advocates — have long lobbied to get access to your smartphone.
Now a mysterious U.S. startup called Grayshift -- which reportedly has an ex-Apple security engineer on staff -- is providing iPhone unlocking tools to cops, according to Motherboard.
SEE ALSO:Here's 5 tips for Spring cleaning your digital footprintGrayKey is a box that measures four by four inches wide, and features two Lightning cables at the front, as per a post by security software company Malwarebytes.
According to Forbes, Grayshift claims the device only works with iOS 10 and 11, with iOS 9 compatibility slated for 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 requires internet connectivity, and only allows 300 uses. For $30,000, you can buy a version which works offline, and allows as many unlocks as you want.
The Maryland State Police and Indiana State Police have already bought GrayKey, and the Miami-Dade County Police are planning to purchase it.
The Secret Service reportedly plans to buy half a dozen of them, and the State Department has already snapped up the technology. The Drug Enforcement Agency is also interested.
It can take anywhere between two hours to more than three days to find an iPhone's passcode, which is dependent on the code's length.
When ready, the passcode shows up on a black screen, and the iPhone's data is downloaded to GrayKey once it's been unlocked.
GrayKey rivals the service provided by Israeli firm Cellebrite, which unlocks smartphones for $5,000 a pop -- although you'll have to bring it to one of its facilities.
If it finds its way to the black market, the more expensive version of GrayKey could be a prized item, potentially allowing thieves to unlock and resell stolen phones. The cheaper GrayKey is geofenced, which means it can only be used on one network.
Of course, GrayKey is only as good as the vulnerabilities left unfixed, thus continuing the never-ending battle between Apple and law enforcement for your iPhone.
TopicsAppleCybersecurityiPhone
(责任编辑：探索)
Ivanka Trump's unpaid interns share cringeworthy financial advice
Vine star King Bach will be the host of this year’s Streamy Awards
Here's how to use apps with Siri in iOS 10
Nothing to see here, just a tiger strolling along an Australian beachOlympian celebrates by ordering an intimidating amount of McDonald'sKaty Perry talks 'Rise,' her next batch of songs, and how to survive Twitter
Katy Perry recently surpassed 90 million followers on Twitter, making her the person with the most f
...[详细]Here's how to use apps with Siri in iOS 10
With all of iOS 10's new messaging features, you'd be forgiven for forgetting that Siri support for
...[详细]Angelina Jolie reportedly files for divorce from Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from husband Brad Pitt, her attorney confirmed Tuesday, ending
...[详细]Eggo waffles were recalled and someone needs to tell the kids from 'Stranger Things'
Yesterday evening, Kellogg's released heartbreaking news: they've recalled some Eggo waffles due to
...[详细]MashReads Podcast: What makes a good summer read?
Summer is coming to a close and that means one thing -- last-minute vacations! 。SEE ALSO:'Ice Cream B
...[详细]Come closer: Curious sea lions keen to inspect this over
Sea lions are pretty cute animals already, but a bunch of them looking curiously at a drone camera?
...[详细]Woman in a burkini: What it's like to be forced to leave a French beach
The sight of burkini-wearing women getting kicked off French beaches by police became a point for im
...[详细]The top 'Smash' players are gathering at Smash Summit 3 in November
Smash Summit is returning for a third time, inviting 10 of the best Super Smash Bros. Meleeplayers t
...[详细]Carlos Beltran made a very interesting hair choice
Apparently the Texas Rangers' Carlos Beltran is taking hair advice from another Carlos in sports --
...[详细]How wireless emergency alerts work
If you live in or close to New York City, your cellphone likely made a strange sound at about 8 a.m.
...[详细]Major earthquake and multiple aftershocks rock central Italy
Baseball exec gets suspended for keeping secret medical records
