Topic: Brute Force

President Biden invoked the history of the Solidarity movement and Pope John Paul II during his address in Poland. He emphasized a "rules-based order" in opposition to "brute force," though critics point to domestic lockdowns and the freezing of assets as contradictions to these stated democratic principles.

The technical limitations of bypassing Apple's "Secure Enclave" are discussed, including the "Error 53" issue that bricks phones if hardware components are tampered with. The hosts suggest that the FBI should demand a proof-of-concept on a non-evidence phone before attempting to crack the San Bernardino device.

The technical dispute between Apple and the FBI centers on disabling security "hurdles" rather than breaking encryption itself. The FBI is requesting that Apple create a specialized version of iOS to disable the auto-erase function and the time delays between failed passcode attempts on the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. This would allow the government to perform a "brute force" attack on the four-digit passcode, which only has 10,000 possible combinations, making it inherently vulnerable without Apple's built-in software delays.

Adam Curry reads the specific technical requirements of the court order issued to Apple, which demands the creation of a "Signed iPhone Software" (SIF) file. This software would disable the auto-erase feature and passcode delay on a specific device to allow the FBI to perform a brute-force attack. The hosts debate whether the government can legally compel a company to write new code to assist a search warrant.