Grayshift Founded in Atlanta to Develop GrayKey iPhone Unlocking Technology

Grayshift is founded in Atlanta, Georgia by David Miles, Braden Thomas, Justin Fisher, and Sean Larsson, directly motivated by the FBI’s difficulties extracting data from the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. The company develops GrayKey, a small gray box measuring four inches by four inches by two inches with two lightning cables, capable of connecting two iPhones simultaneously and brute-forcing their passcodes to unlock the devices and extract data. The device represents a new generation of mobile forensics technology, offering law enforcement an alternative to established vendors like Cellebrite. By late 2017, word of the GrayKey device begins circulating in law enforcement circles, and the tool quickly gains adoption among federal agencies and local police departments. Grayshift’s technology enables comprehensive access to locked iPhones and Android devices, allowing customers to extract and analyze all stored data, cloud-based backups, and online accounts. The company positions itself as enabling legitimate law enforcement investigations, though the technology raises significant privacy concerns about circumventing device encryption without user consent or knowledge.