Apple says Australian iOS device attacks not caused by iCloud breach

Oleg Pliss

On Monday, a number of iOS and Mac users came forward with complaints that their devices had been remotely locked by hackers. In most of the cases, a message appeared via Find My iPhone on the locked devices, demanding payment for the hack to be reversed.

As far as we can tell, the attacks have been concentrated on Mac and iOS products in Australia. And among the various theories of how the hackers were able to set a remote lock has been the fear that iCloud was breached. But Apple says it hasn’t been compromised…

In a statement provided to ZDNet provided to ZDNet, Apple says:

Apple takes security very seriously and iCloud was not compromised during this incident. Impacted users should change their Apple ID password as soon as possible and avoid using the same user name and password for multiple services. Any users who need additional help can contact AppleCare or visit their local Apple Retail Store.

We of course have always recommended that users make sure to set a strong unique password for their Apple ID, as it grants access to a wide range of services and devices. We also suggest enabling Apple’s new two-step authentication feature, which you can do here.

Still have questions? This thread on Apple’s support forums is following the issue.