Russian security company Elcomsoft has found a way to get through nearly all security an iOS 4 device could put up and has managed to access the stored data on any iOS 4 device.

Any dedicated hacker can get through any security on devices but Elcomsoft has taken it a step further by devising a method that will bypass an iOS 4 encryption. The software has a password breaker and another part that is only available to police and forensic agencies. This part is able to create encryption keys for iOS devices that are used to render decrypted images of the device.

The Apple AES key looks complex but it's still unlocked by a simple 4 digit PIN. The device will lock out if you entered the PIN incorrectly ten times. This apparently isn't a problem for Elcomsoft as they have also found a way to bypass the 10 attempts lockout by attacking the API that counts the attempts.

If you're scared the government will start hacking your phone for state secrets you can beat the software by using a complex password rather than the 4 digit PIN code. Use the complex pass code option and the 8-digit code would protect your phone from any attack. The brute force attack will take the software 400,000 minutes or just under 280 days to run through all possible values for code.

iTWire reports that Elcomsoft's Vladimir Katalov has this to say about their product:

"Let's make it very clear: no privacy purist should ever use an iPhone (or any other smartphone, probably). iPhone devices store or cache humungous amounts of information about how, when, and where the device has been used. The amount of sensitive information collected and stored in Apple smartphones is beyond what had previously been imaginable."

In other words if you're a secret agent don't use an iPhone.