ElcomSoft Discovers an Alternative Way of Accessing iPhone User Data, Provides Forensic Access to iCloud Backups

Moscow, Russia, May 18, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The company updates Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker, a tool to retrieve user content from password-protected backups created by Apple iOS devices and BlackBerry smartphones, with the ability to retrieve iPhones’ user data from iCloud. No lengthy attacks and no physical access to an iPhone device are required: the data is downloaded directly onto investigators’ computers (PC) from Apple remote storage facilities in plain, unencrypted form. Backups to multiple devices registered with the same Apple ID can be effortlessly retrieved. Investigators need to know user’s original Apple ID and password in order to gain access to online backups.

The new version of Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker offers forensic access to online backups produced by Apple iPhone devices and stored in Apple iCloud. By enabling forensic access to information stored in iCloud, ElcomSoft helps investigators recover more evidence faster while providing law enforcement and intelligence organizations with live access to users’ online backups. Neither physical device nor access to suspect’s computer is needed in order to access backup information. Instead, investigators gain full unrestricted access to users’ iCloud storage by simply entering their Apple ID and password into Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker.

“In a sense, Phone Password Breaker becomes an alternative way to get access to iOS devices’ content,” says Vladimir Katalov, ElcomSoft CEO. “Our Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit is only available to forensic customers, while other methods require the presence of the actual iPhone device being analyzed or at least an access to device backups. This is not the case with iCloud. With valid Apple ID and a password, investigators can not only retrieve backups to seized devices, but access that information in real-time while the phone is still in the hands of a suspect.”

If a user owns more than one device, and those devices are registered with the same Apple ID, their online backups can be seamlessly recovered from iCloud with no extra effort.

Background
iPhone users have several options to back up the content of their devices. They can backup information stored in their device such as contacts, pictures, call logs and data into a file on their computer with the help of Apple iTunes. Alternatively, they can backup all that information into cloud storage maintained by Apple Inc. Introduced in June, 2011, the iCloud service allows users to store data from their devices on remote computer servers and share their files between multiple iOS devices. In addition, iCloud can be used as a data synchronization center for email, contacts, organizer events, bookmarks, pictures and other information. Various sources quote the service has as many as 125 million users as of April 2012.

iCloud backups are incremental. When set up to use the iCloud service, iPhones automatically connect to iCloud network and backup their content every time a docked device gets within reach of a Wi-Fi access point. Online backups can be retrieved by forensic specialists without having the original iPhone device in hands. All that’s needed to access online backups stored in an iCloud are user’s Apple ID and password. Data can be accessed without the consent of knowledge of an iPhone user, making Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker an ideal solution for law enforcement and intelligence organizations.

Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker supports Windows NT4, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7, as well as Windows 2003 and 2008 Server. Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker Pro is available to North American customers for $199. The Home edition is available for $79. Local pricing may vary. More information at http://elcomsoft.com/eppb.html