15.2. Security The iPhone is regarded by security experts as more secure against common malware than Android. Less than 1% of mobile malware targets iOS. Encryption Prior to 2014, the iPhone stored all "messages, pictures and videos, contacts, audio recordings [...] and call history" in unencrypted form, enabling easy access by law enforcement. This changed with iOS 8, which adopted file-based encryption. Apple does not hold the decryption key, and cannot be compelled to turn over user data, even when presented with a government warrant. Companies like Grayshift and Cellebrite developed exploits that enable law enforcement to extract user data from iPhones without needing the user's passcode. In 2015 and 2016, a dispute unfolded between Apple and the FBI. The FBI had recovered the iPhone 5C of one of the San Bernardino attackers, and iCloud backups of that phone from a month and a half before the shooting. The U.S. government attempted to obtain a court order under the All Writs Act compelling Apple to produce a modified version of iOS that would allow investigators to brute force the device passcode. Tim Cook responded on the company's website, outlining a need for encryption, arguing that a backdoor would compromise the privacy of all iPhone users. The DOJ withdrew its request after the FBI bought an exploit to bypass the iPhone's passcode. As a countermeasure, Apple implemented USB Restricted Mode, which was subsequently exploited too. Pegasus malware In 2016, researchers discovered the Pegasus suite of exploits targeting iOS and Android, which led to significant international media coverage. Some Pegasus exploits are zero-click, meaning that they can fully compromise the device with no user interaction, for example by sending a malformed iMessage to the user that would not even trigger a notification. Pegasus can collect most data, including chats, passwords, and photos, and can turn on the phone's microphone and camera remotely. Apple quickly issued an update fixing FORCEDENTRY and other known Pegasus exploits, though Pegasus continued to be used, relying on new exploits. Apple also sued NSO, the organization behind Pegasus, announced a new security bounty, and added an optional Lockdown Mode to iOS 16 that reduces the iPhone's attack surface. Prominent victims of Pegasus include Jamal Khashoggi, and numerous activists, businessmen and politicians. Pegasus has been widely used since 2011, and is still used by law enforcement and governments as of July 2022. Reception and legacy The original iPhone has