FBI Wants to 'Turn Back the Clock' on iPhone: Apple Software Head

(NBCNEWS) ThemanbehindApple'ssoftwaresaysthattheFBI'sdemandthatthecompanyhelpbreakintoaniPhoneisdangerousinaworldwherehackerswanttogetintoourbankaccounts,governmentcomputersandtransportationsystems.

Smartphonesarenowfirmlyapartofeverydaylifeformany,andthatmakesthemjuicytargetsforpeoplelookingfordigitalsoftspots,CraigFederighi,Apple'sseniorvicepresidentofsoftwareengineering,wroteinanopinioncolumnfortheWashingtonPostpublishedonSundayevening.That'swhyApplefocusesonsecurity,includingtheencryptionbuiltintotheiPhone,hesays.

"Doinganythingtohamperthatmissionwouldbeaseriousmistake,"Federighiwrote."That'swhyit'ssodisappointingthattheFBI,JusticeDepartmentandothersinlawenforcementarepressingustoturnbacktheclocktoaless-securetimeandless-securetechnologies."

TheFBIwantsAppletobuildanewpieceofsoftwarethatwouldthenbeloadedontoaniPhone5CusedbySyedFarook,oneoftheshootersintheSanBernardinomassacrethatleft14peopledeadlastDecember.Apple,aswellasdigitalrightsgroupsandsecurityexperts,havearguedthatsuchatoolwouldalmostcertainlygetloose,andendangerotherusersofAppledevices.

"Oncecreated,thissoftware—whichlawenforcementhasconcededitwantstoapplytomanyiPhones—wouldbecomeaweaknessthathackersandcriminalscouldusetowreakhavocontheprivacyandpersonalsafetyofusall,"Federighiwrote.