ICE's HSI Secures $3 Million Contract for Graykey Phone‑Hacking Tool
Key Points
- HSI signs a $3 million contract with Magnet Forensics for Graykey‑type software licenses.
- Contracts also cover Magnet Griffeye Enterprise and additional Graykey licenses ranging from $12,000 to $145,000.
- The procurement database description emphasizes evidence recovery, multi‑device processing, and forensic reporting.
- Neither Magnet Forensics nor ICE provided comment on the agreements.
- ICE’s broader tech toolkit includes Clearview AI facial‑recognition, Paragon spyware, and Palantir analytics.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit has signed a $3 million contract for software licenses that appear to cover the Graykey phone‑hacking system from Magnet Forensics. The procurement database also lists several smaller contracts for related forensic tools, ranging from $12,000 to $145,000. Neither Magnet Forensics nor ICE provided comment, while the agency’s broader technology suite includes facial‑recognition, spyware, and data‑analytics platforms.
Contract Overview
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s law‑enforcement arm, Homeland Security Investigations, entered a contract valued at $3 million with Magnet Forensics. The agreement, listed in a federal procurement database, calls for software licenses to recover digital evidence, process multiple devices, and generate forensic reports. While the contract does not name the product, it aligns with the Graykey system, a phone‑unlocking and data‑extraction tool originally developed by Grayshift and now part of Magnet Forensics after a 2023 acquisition.
Additional Agreements
The same database shows a series of related contracts: a $145,000 subscription for Magnet Griffeye Enterprise, a $90,000 GrayKey Premier software renewal for iOS and Android extractions in Detroit, a $57,000 purchase of Graykey licenses for broader investigations, and a $12,000 license deal for unspecified Magnet Forensics software in Charlotte.
Agency Response
Magnet Forensics did not respond to requests for comment. An ICE spokesperson acknowledged outreach but provided no statement, and the Department of Homeland Security also declined to comment.
Broader Technology Arsenal
ICE’s technology portfolio includes facial‑recognition software from Clearview AI, cell‑phone spyware from Paragon, and data‑analytics tools from Palantir, supporting its enforcement and deportation operations.