The individual who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump had their phone swiftly unlocked, as reported by TechSpot. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that within 2 days of the failed assassination attempt, they successfully gained access to the phone of the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks. It is suspected that the FBI may have utilized specialized tools from the Israeli company Cellebrite, commonly used by law enforcement to unlock and extract data from phones.
Following unsuccessful attempts by Pennsylvania agents to unlock Crooks’ phone, the device was sent to the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Despite being password protected and biometrically authenticated, the FBI’s rapid access demonstrates the government agencies’ capacity to bypass encrypted devices.
The FBI did not disclose the brand of the suspect’s phone. Additionally, it was reported that FBI technical experts are analyzing other electronic devices linked to the perpetrator, indicating the agency has obtained several other devices besides the phone. Furthermore, the FBI stated that they are processing information from digital media, including photos and videos taken at the scene of the incident.
Cellebrite gained notoriety in 2016 following rumors that its technology was used to break into the iPhone 5c of Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the attackers in California. In 2021, it was revealed that the partner assisting the FBI in accessing the phone was not Cellebrite but Australian security company Azimuth Security, as mentioned by former FBI Director James Comey, who noted that unlocking the phone cost $1.3 million.