Security

macOS Sierra 10.12.2 fixed vulnerability that let attackers obtain disk encryption password

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 19, 2016

Last week's macOS Sierra 10.12.2 software update squashed a number of bugs and patched a few newly discovered vulnerabilities, among them one that allowed an attacker to obtain your FileVault disk encryption password by plugging in a $300 Thunderbolt device into a locked or sleeping Mac.

As detailed by security researcher Ulf Frisk, attackers must have physical access to your Mac in order to exploit the vulnerability. The obtained password may be used to unlock your Mac's disk and access everything on it.

Bring your padlocks up to the 21st century with the Dog & Bone LockSmart Mini

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 30, 2023

Chances are you have a thing or two that you like to keep locked away with a padlock of some sort.

Whether you need it for a locker at school or work, or to keep a gate or shed closed at home, you can bring your padlocks up to the 21st century with the Dog and Bone LockSmart Mini, which utilizes wireless Bluetooth connectivity so you can unlock the padlock with your smartphone.

Hacker Luca Todesco advises jailbreakers to avoid updating to iOS 10.2

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated December 9, 2016

While there’s still no public jailbreak for iOS 10 to date, there have been some very convincing demos of personal jailbreaks for it, most of which have come out of the woodwork from none other than well-known iOS hacker Luca Todesco.

Amid the current jailbreak situation, Todesco is now seen warning netizens that if they have any intention of jailbreaking iOS 10 in the future, they should stay on iOS 10.1.1 and refrain from updating to iOS 10.2 when it comes out.

iOS 10.1.1 bug allows researchers to bypass Activation Lock protection on iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 2, 2016

Back in November, India-based security researcher Hemanth Joseph discovered a bug in iOS 10.1 which permitted him to bypass Apple's anti-theft Activation Lock feature by entering an excessively long string of characters in the Wi-Fi setup text fields.

Apple has patched the flaw in iOS 10.1.1 but now, as noted by SecurityWeek, researchers at Vulnerability Lab have managed to find another method of bypassing Activation Lock protection on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 10.1.1 and they posted video evidence to prove it.

SmallHint keeps a subtle hint for your passcode on your Lock screen

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 2, 2016

Forgetful people can now combat their inability to remember their iPhone or iPad passcodes with a new free jailbreak tweak called SmallHint.

What this tweak allows you to do is put an inconspicuous hint on your Lock screen, just below the date, that can help jog your memory in the event that you forget your passcode.

How to set up automatic account login on Mac

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated December 2, 2025

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just turn on your Mac and start using it without having to log in to it all the time? If you’re someone who doesn’t need Fort Knox-like security to keep people from getting into your computer, then you can set up your Mac to log in to your account automatically when you turn it on, and we’ll show you how to do that.

How to set up and use Touch ID on your Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 17, 2023

Learn how to set up Touch ID on a MacBook or Magic Keyboard, enroll your fingerprints in the system, and use it to quickly unlock your computer, make purchases on websites with Apple Pay, and much more.

New Lock screen bug bypasses iPhone/iPad passcode, lets you see photos/contacts

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 17, 2016

Apple likes to pride itself with strong security in iOS, but for all the platitudes the fact remains that the iPhone's Lock screen is one of iOS's weakest links. And now, YouTuber iDeviceHelp has discovered a new Lock screen vulnerability that lets anyone in possession of your iPhone bypass the passcode and get to your contacts and photos. The bug has been reported to Apple and should be fixed in a future update.

iOS 10 found to store call logs for up to 4 months, Apple explains

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 17, 2016

iOS 10's been found to upload missed call logs from apps like WhatsApp and Skype to servers, as well as near-real time FaceTime call logs—even if iCloud backup has been turned off, according to a Russian company called Elcomsoft which makes iPhone forensic tools aimed at law enforcement agencies.

Elcomsoft CEO Vladimir Katalov suspects in an interview with Forbes that this is most likely a result of iOS 10's expanded scope of call logging due to the new CallKit framework which was designed to make VoIP calls from apps like Viber, WhatsApp and Skype behave like cellular calls and integrate with Phone's Recents and Favorites.

According to Apple itself, call log syncing through iCloud is a convenient feature that elevates user experience by allowing customers to easily return calls from VoIP apps.

Backdoor in some Android devices sold in the US found to send data to China

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Security firm Kryptowire recently discovered that some Android smartphones have a backdoor that secretly sends data to China, reports the NY Times. Maybe even more concerning, American phone maker BLU Products said that 120,000 of its phones were found to have the backdoor installed in its software, which has since been updated to remove all track of that secret backdoor.

WhatsApp rolls out end-to-end encrypted video calling

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 15, 2016

Facebook-owned WhatsApp announced yesterday that it had begun rolling out video calling to the more than one billion users it claims across iOS, Android and Windows Phone platforms around the world.

According to TechCrunch, video calls on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted just like with FaceTime in order to prevent rogue parties from eavesdropping on your communications.

WhatsApp previously rolled out end-to-end encryption for chats. “We obviously try to be in tune with what our users want,” WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum told Reuters. “We're obsessed with making sure that voice and video work well even on low-end phones.”

How to add more fingerprints to Touch ID on Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated November 28, 2025

When you set up your device for the first time, you’re asked to register one fingerprint with Touch ID. But you can add more at any time, and in this tutorial, we will show you how to do that.