According to recently unsealed court documents, Apple is fighting a Department of Justice intervention in its copyright suit against cybersecurity startup Corellium.
Last August, the Cupertino, California, giant sued Corellium for illegally copying iPhones in its software that produces “virtual” software versions of the famous device for security and functionality testing. The case took a turn in February, when Apple’s lawyers went on the offensive, demanding that Santander Bank and defense contractor L3Harris reveal how it used the tech.
In the latest of the case’s twists, the DOJ has asked that Apple’s request for deposition of Corellium cofounder Chris Wade be delayed, but hasn’t openly stated why. The government says it wants to know what evidence Apple is planning on presenting before its lawyers question Wade.
The evidence has not yet been revealed, though in its court filing Friday, Apple counsel wrote that it “includes photographs Apple obtained” that “reveal highly sensitive information about sources and methods related to Apple’s internal investigation.” Apple said it was happy to hand the evidence to the government, but wanted assurances about its confidentiality, which it claimed the government had not provided.
“Apple and the court still do not know whether the government has an actual interest in this action,” Apple’s lawyers wrote on Friday in opposition to the DOJ motion for an indefinite stay of Wade’s deposition. “The government has provided no compelling reason, much less any evidence, to justify the unfair prejudice that would befall Apple as it prepares for dispositive motions and trial.”
MacDailyNews Take: There is a reason why too many failed attempts to unlock disable an iOS device: Security.
Corellium allows this important security feature to be sidestepped allowing for brute-force attempts to unlock devices, among other things.
Apple offers a $1 million “bug bounty” for anyone who discovers flaws in iOS and gives custom “dev-fused” iPhones to legitimate researchers.
Again, you couldn’t beg for a lawsuit from Apple any better than Corellium, and that’s a list that includes the likes of Psystar!
To thwart brute-force attempts to unlock you devices, always use long, custom, alphanumeric passcodes. Use at least seven characters – even longer is better – and mix numbers, letters, and symbols.
To change your passcode in iOS:
Settings > Face ID & Passcodes > Change Passcode > Passcode Options: Custom Alphanumeric Code
