
FBI Contracts Cellebrite to Break into San Bernardino iPhone - ShaneWilton
https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/fpdsportal?amp;templateName=1.4.4&q=cellebrite+CONTRACTING_AGENCY_NAME%3A%22FEDERAL+BUREAU+OF+INVESTIGATION%22+PIID%3A%22DJF161200P0004424%22&sortBy=SIGNED_DATE&s=FPDSNG.COM&indexName=awardfull&desc=Y&&templateName=1.4&indexName=awardfull
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duskwuff
I suspect that contract is unrelated. Details of the contract are visible at:

[https://www.fpds.gov/common/jsp/LaunchWebPage.jsp?command=ex...](https://www.fpds.gov/common/jsp/LaunchWebPage.jsp?command=execute&requestid=66872289&version=1.4)

Specifically, the "description of requirement" says:

    
    
        IGF::OT::IGF  UFED software renewals for seven machines.
    

Which sounds like a routine license renewal... unless, of course, they're
deliberately being misleading with that line item.

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cypherpunks01
Looks like that link has a transient id and returns a blank page..

Real link here:
[https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/jsp/viewLinkController.jsp?age...](https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/jsp/viewLinkController.jsp?agencyID=1549&PIID=DJF161200P0004424&modNumber=0&transactionNumber=0&idvAgencyID=&idvPIID=&actionSource=searchScreen&actionCode=&documentVersion=1.4&contractType=AWARD&docType=B)

Agreed that this doesn't look like the actual phone contract. Cellebrite runs
contracts for the DOJ every few weeks and that amount is quite low:

[https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/fpdsportal?q=cellebrite+CONTRA...](https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/fpdsportal?q=cellebrite+CONTRACTING_AGENCY_NAME%3A%22FEDERAL+BUREAU+OF+INVESTIGATION%22+VENDOR_FULL_NAME%3A%22CELLEBRITE+USA+CORP%22&s=FPDSNG.COM&templateName=1.4&indexName=awardfull&x=0&y=0&sortBy=SIGNED_DATE&desc=Y)

Wouldn't be surprising if the DOJ had called them up, though, and also
wouldn't be surprising if any purchase order surrounding the case was sealed
for reasons of national security.

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apawloski
Is $15k a weirdly low number for this, given the importance the FBI has
attributed to it? Anyone with similar contracting experience who can comment?

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mtgx
Well, from the FBI's perspective, they may already know the data on that work
phone is worthless, but they just pretended it's not to get the precedent
against Apple.

From Cellebrite's perspective, they should've probably asked more like $1.5
million to solve "such a valuable case", as the FBI has made it to be in
public (and if this is indeed that contract, which it may not be). Apple also
helped there by talking about how much of a burden it would be to unlock it.

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fucking_tragedy
Truth is the community knows how much of a relative non-burden it is and the
contract was probably bid upon.

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JosephHatfield
Danny Yadron, a reporter for the Gaurdian, recently tweeted "Reliable sources
with a variety of biases saying Cellebrite rumor is bunk."

