As the special prosecutor's office has obtained a former President Yoon Suk-yeol's iPhone, which is protected by a 'dual lock,' the investigation is facing difficulties, drawing attention to Apple's stringent security system. Apple is known for its thorough personal information protection technology that cannot be breached even by its headquarters. In fact, not only this special investigation, but past investigations involving iPhone users have often faced challenges in securing evidence.
According to the IT industry on the 24th, current technology does not allow for a digital forensic investigation of the device unless the iPhone owner unlocks the password. This is due to the 'end-to-end encryption (E2EE)' technology of Apple's mobile operating system, 'iOS.'
End-to-end encryption means encrypting all communication processes between the message sender and receiver. Even if data is replicated from an iPhone that cannot recognize the user and transferred to another electronic device, only the encrypted content will be visible. The key to unlock the encryption exists only on the device that the user has set. Even Apple cannot access the user's cloud.
The special prosecutor's office requested the password after acquiring the iPhone from former President Yoon's residence to secure evidence, but their request was denied. The special prosecutor's office is reported to have turned the iPhone over to the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office for a digital forensic investigation. However, they are said to be unable to initiate the digital forensic work due to the inability to unlock the dual lock.
To access iPhone data, the dual authentication (2FA) device must be unlocked. According to Apple, dual authentication is a security enhancement feature designed so that only the user can access the account even if someone else knows their password. When logging in to an Apple account for the first time on a new device or site, both the password and the 6-digit verification code, which is automatically displayed on another device that has already been authenticated by Apple, are required. Apple explains, 'Knowing the password alone will not allow access to the account, so using dual authentication greatly improves the security of the Apple account and data stored in Apple.'
Apple has facial recognition technology known as Face ID. According to the company, Apple's TrueDepth camera functionality measures not only the facial features of the iPhone owner but also the depth of the face. Apple explained on its official site, 'After transforming the device's neural engine depth map and infrared images into formulas, the formulas are compared against registered facial data.'
A security industry source noted, 'To bypass the iPhone's password and other authentication procedures, advanced hacking techniques are required,' explaining the reason why politicians and celebrities prefer iPhones.
The high level of security of the iPhone has posed challenges not only for this special prosecutor's office but also for various investigations in the past. In 2020, during the investigation into the attempted coercion charges against former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, the prosecution was unable to conduct a digital forensic investigation as Han did not disclose the iPhone password. Ultimately, the prosecution returned the iPhone to Han, stating, 'Given current technology, attempts to unlock it are no longer feasible.'
Last year, when singer Kim Ho-jung was investigated for 'drunk hit-and-run' allegations, he also refused to provide the passwords for his three iPhones, causing delays in the prosecution's digital forensic analysis. Eventually, Kim's team only provided the password for some of the iPhones.