• Schleppy@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    This podcast goes into the reasons that rebooting a locked phone can improve security.

    [The 404 Media Podcast] How Apple is Locking Out Cops #the404MediaPodcast https://podcastaddict.com/the-404-media-podcast/episode/185990070 via @PodcastAddict

    My take is, it’s harder to unlock/hack a phone when it is in the locked state after booting up. This state is somehow different than the booted locked state.

    Why, is above my understanding.

    • MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      Basically, the tools that LE uses to unlock devices uses exploits that require the device to be in what’s called an AFU (after first unlock) state. The data on the device is encrypted prior to that first unlock after you boot. If the device is in a BFU state (before first unlock) Cellebrite/Greykey (by far the primary tools used in this space) basically hit a wall.

      • sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        5 days ago

        Elsewhere in the thread they explain because decryption takes time, they don’t cycle it every time you lock your phone by default. Not sure if there’s more to it.

        • twice_hatch@midwest.social
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          5 days ago

          The time needed for key derivation aka key stretching may be a factor, but also in the BFU state I think apps don’t run and you don’t get notifications, since most of the files are still locked