While the iPhone’s local storage drive has pretty strong encryption, and without a passcode or a fingerprint, there’s no way anyone can get past the lockscreen, it’s still possible to get cloud data held on Apple servers.
Albeit, if it’s stored locally on your phone, it’s tough to get without your permission, as exemplified in the saga with FBI to crack into an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, one of the attackers in the shooting at San Bernardino, California.
But, it’s possible to obtain the data held on Apple servers, or data associated with an app; making such the Achilles heel where thieves and forensics have turned to as the easiest access point.
And as it’s possible to initiate an automatic backup right from the computer, which can move all the phone’s data onto the computer, makes it digital forensics best maneuver.
Though, Apple had already beefed up the process for establishing a trusted device — with iOS 11, that system will get even more tougher. A new feature in iOS 11 will make that system a bit more harder to crack.
With iOS 11, you won’t be able to establish a pairing with only the fingerprint; you’ll require full passcode access, as if you were unlocking the phone after a hard reset.
And perhaps, it will present a serious challenge for investigators, who compel suspects on fingerprints in legal territory against the full passcode.
Even as backing up the phone to a trusted device is a huge part of modern forensics, it will be harder without the user’s permission with iOS 11, and given that the next iPhone will drop the TouchID feature, makes it all worthwhile.
