FBI to Apple: We don't need your iPhone hack - CNET

"[W]e remain cautiously optimistic," said Justice Department spokeswoman in statement. That is why we asked the court to give us some time to explore this option. If this solution works, it will allow us to search the phone and continue our investigation into the terrorist attack that killed 14 people and wounded 22 people."

The Justice Department declined to comment on who the outside party is that is providing help.

The iPhone is designed to remain encrypted until it's unlocked with a passcode. If investigators copy the hard drive, the data will stay scrambled up. What's more, if investigators enter 10 wrong passwords, the iPhone's data will be wiped. That means if the method the FBI has found fails, it could render the data completely irretrievable.

Apple has vehemently fought the court's order to write a software update for the phone that would let the FBI try as many passwords as possible. With a limited amount of numerical combinations possible, it would be easy for investigators to get into the phone if they could make unlimited attempts.

But if the FBI isn't able to open the phone, it will have to go back to the court to try and enforce the order. The agency is also trying to get Apple to help open iPhones in at least 9 other court cases, according to the New York Times, but this is the only case in which a judge has ordered the company to help. In a separate case in New York federal court, a judge sided with Apple and declined to order the company to help open the phone in question.