Apple says iPhone ID change prevented data access

SAN MATEO, Calif. — The ID passcode to the iPhone the FBI wants Apple to hack for information about one of the San Bernardino, Calif., terrorists was changed less than a day after the government gained possession of it, Apple executives said in a phone briefing with reporters Friday afternoon.
Had the passcode not been changed, Apple said, a backup of the information the government is seeking could have been viewed.  It is unclear who changed the Apple ID passcode while it was in the government’s possession, the executive said.
The disclosure was made with a small group of reporters during a 30-minute briefing, including USA TODAY. Apple asked that its executive not be identified because of the sensitive nature of the legal matter.