FBI leader: We don't know how to hack phones

This explains a lot, really:

A high ranking technology official with the FBI told members of Congress Tuesday that the agency is incapable of cracking locked phones and devices on its own, even with additional resources.

...

Several lawmakers, including Rep. Diana DeGette, invoked the San Bernardino episode, and asked why the FBI could not improve it’s own expertise in cracking encrypted devices. If it were to do that, she argued, the agency would no longer need to challenge technology companies, like Apple, in court or purchase hacks from outside parties.

Hess countered that the types of one-off exploits needed to crack encrypted devices may require resources unavailable to the FBI. “Those solutions may be time intensive, they may not eventually be effective, they may require an additional amount of resources, or an additional amount of skill, in order to get to those solutions,” she said.

I'm not sure whether to be relieved or alarmed that the Federales are not competent to do investigative work.