FBI struggles to crack the phone password of Trump’s assailant
Last Saturday, there was an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. Following the attack, the FBI focused on unlocking the assailant’s phone, but things are not going as planned. The FBI has been unable to crack the phone password.
FBI couldn’t crack the phone password of Trump’s assailant
This incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt, and the involvement of technology has added an intriguing layer to the case. The FBI took the assailant’s phone for examination, but the challenge lies in the phone being password-protected. Agents in Pennsylvania tried various methods to unlock it but ultimately had to send the device to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Now, everyone is eagerly waiting to see how the FBI will crack the phone’s password.
The assailant has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Investigations are ongoing to understand Crooks’ motivations. Kevin Rojek, the FBI’s special agent in Pittsburgh, stated that they have accessed some messages, but these have not been very enlightening.
The brand of Crooks’ phone remains unknown. The FBI did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment. Generally, law enforcement agencies succeed in unlocking suspects’ phones, either by accessing iCloud backups or using third-party phone cracking technologies.
This situation reminds us of the significant conflict between Apple and the FBI in 2015. At that time, Apple refused the FBI’s request to unlock an iPhone belonging to a suspect in the San Bernardino attack, citing concerns over the security of all iPhones. The FBI eventually succeeded in unlocking the phone with the help of an Australian security firm.
What do you think? How do you think the FBI’s phone cracking struggle will end this time? Share your thoughts in the comments below.