DriveSaver – a company known for Data recovery – is currently advertising a new service that questions the security system on Apple devices. Branded Passcode lockout Data Recovery service, the company claims it could recover important data from locked smartphones as well as difficult-to-crack iOS devices. And DriveSaver is advertising this service for regular consumers. That means the service was not designed specifically for law enforcement or cybersecurity business of any type. While the service efficacy is still subject to confirmation, it goes against Apple’s promise of secure storage to clients.
In a press release by the Company, it reassured that Passcode Lockout Data Recovery service will be offered exclusively to eligible consumers. These are individuals who have forgotten the passwords of their devices and those who require information stored in a deceased family member’s device. However, clients will need to provide proof of ownership to be eligible for the service, DriveSaver said.
The situation may also require DriveSaver to request for death certificates, court documents, probate documents, or any other legal document, DriverSavers spokesperson told The Verge via an email. “In the case of a death, we verify who the executor of the state is through interview and documentation.” The spokesperson also said the service costs $3,900 for a device, with an with an assurance of an unlocked tablet or phone.
It is not clear how DriveSavers was able to bypass security protocols on iOS and on Android devices, and as expected, the information is not disclosed. Instead, the company also advertised the same service product for Windows devices, and the devices of numerous manufacturers such as Samsung, BlackBery, Huawei, Lenovo, LG, and ZTE.
Passcode Lockout Recovery service attracts a serious doubt
DriveSaver iPhone unlock claims invite a serious skepticism and the reason is quite obvious. Apple protects its iPhone with a passcode lock system that even the FBI cannot unlock on its own. That led to a serious showdown two years ago between the FBI and Apple regarding the unlocking of an iPhone 5C belonging to the San Bernardino shooter. FBI eventually sued Apple for refusing to build a special version of its operating system that includes a backdoor, though the security agency later dropped the case.
This is because Apple’s iPhone passcode is so encrypted that even Apple itself can’t access a locked iPhone. There are methods to wipe a locked iPhone device but retrieving photos, documents, texts, and other data is technically impossible without leveraging a high-level vulnerability.
With the aid of iCloud, one can actually get data from a locked iPhone. However, a search warrant needs to be tendered to Apple for such access. Aside from that, there are other methods to extract information from a locked device. They include spoofing fingerprint data so as to access a device through Touch ID and the Graykey hacking tool (used by some law enforcement agencies) which Apple has currently blocked completely.
DriveSavers is obviously not making use of any of these methods. However, it’s still possible that the company has a special tool that allows it to read data in a locked device.