Privacy

Amid continuing outage, Apple launches Dev Center status dashboard

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 24, 2013

Seven days into the Dev Center outage and there's no end in sight to this major blunder. Developers use Apple's Dev Center to access technical documentation, download iOS 7 and OS X beta builds, file bug reports, give feedback, use web tools to manage their code and much more.

Therefore, this downtime is entirely unacceptable and it's become totally conceivable now that such a significant downtime might spoil Apple's blockbuster Fall. Realizing as much, the firm on Wednesday posted a notice outlining its steps going forward.

And, a brand new dashboard status page charts Apple's recovery from the hack...

Apple: dev portal breach hasn’t compromised iTunes accounts or credit cards

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 22, 2013

You're probably aware by now Apple's portal for its registered developers has been down since noon on Thursday, July 18. The firm on Sunday updated the standard "we'll be back soon" message at the service's landing page to warn the "maintenance will take longer than expected".

Adding fuel to fire, Apple soon after emailed developers with details on what they revealed as a nasty security breach that may have left some private information exposed. Unfortunately, the company stopped short of detailing precisely what information might have been compromised and how.

Be that as it may, the seeming privacy scare has left many scratching their head over the potential unpleasantries that might transpire next. Apple on its part did confirm the breach won't affect consumer iTunes account and said no credit card data had been compromised...

US government gets approval to continue tracking phone records

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 3, 2017

In June, an order granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to the FBI leaked, revealing that Verizon was handing over millions of private telephone records to the US government. Of course, we later found out that it wasn't just Verizon giving up user data.

As you may have known, that court order was set to expire today, meaning that the government would no longer be authorized to collect such records. But according to the office of the Director of National Intelligence, FISA has just renewed its authorization...

Apple joins alliance of tech companies in push for better NSA transparency

Cody Lee ∙ July 17, 2013

Apple is reportedly teaming up with Google, Facebook, Microsoft and a number of other tech companies that will demand dramatically increased transparency from the US government regarding surveillance by the NSA and other agencies.

In a letter to be published tomorrow, the alliance—which includes 63 companies, investors, and non-profit orgs—will call upon President Obama and congressional leaders to allow them to report more specifically on security requests...

Pirate Bay co-founder touts ‘secret’ messaging app

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

So, you want to order a pizza or text sweet nothings to your significant other without the NSA listening? The co-founder of The Pirate Bay, known for swapping illicit copies of movies and software, has a secret - literally. Peter Sunde is raising funds for Hemlis (Swedish for "secret"), a new kind of messaging app for iOS and Android he and his team are working on. They boldly claim the software is designed to keep out the most prying eyes, such as those from the U.S. government's PRISM program...

Default iOS hotspot passwords can be cracked in under a minute

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2013

You may want to reconsider using a default password iOS provides for hotspot functionality as researchers at a German university warn of the weaknesses that let attackers crack any default iOS hotspot password in under a minute. Although Windows Phone uses even weaker passwords and some Android vendors weaken their device's security by modifying the Wi-Fi-related components, Apple's problem is that iOS generates "random" hotspot passwords using a dictionary of only 1,842 different entries...

Apple posts open letter regarding PRISM accusations and customer privacy

Cody Lee ∙ June 17, 2013

Apple has just issued a statement regarding its customer privacy policy, following accusations that it is involved in a US government-run PRISM program that offers up user data without warrant. It's already commented on the situation, but it obviously felt it needed to be more clear.

Tonight the company posted an open letter to its website entitled 'Apple's Commitment to Customer Privacy.' The letter reiterates that Apple knew nothing about the so-called PRISM program, and offers insight into its relationship with the government and what it means for users...

Prosecutors combine to fight smartphone thefts

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated November 29, 2016

While its no case of Elliot Ness against Chicago's rum runners of Prohibition days, prosecutors in two major U.S. cities are teaming up with local police to fight a wave of violent smartphone thefts. Law enforcers Thursday issued an SOS of sorts, or 'Save Our Smartphones'.

The announcement comes as Apple and other smartphone makers meet with the New York State Attorney General and San Francisco's District Attorney. It's unknown whether Apple's new Activation Lock feature unveiled during Monday's WWDC keynote as part of iOS 7 will be enough to satisfy calls for handset makers to create a kill switch to disable stolen smartphones...

Apple and Tim Cook getting sued over NSA’s PRISM intelligence program

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2013

The controversy over National Security Agency data mining isn't going away anytime soon. As you know, the scandal blew up when it was discovered that the government issued a secret order to Verizon Business Network Services to provide the NSA with logs for millions of calls on an ongoing daily basis.

Numerous lawsuits are being announced with each passing day and some have already been filed. For example, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said he will sue the Obama administration over the "unconstitutional" PRISM surveillance programs.

And now, an activist group is suing Apple and Tim Cook, as well as Facebook, Google, YouTube, Skype, AT&T, Sprint, Yahoo, Microsoft, PalTalk, AOL, the NSA and its Director Keith Alexander, President Obama himself and Attorney General Eric Holder over participating in the government's secret Big Brother initiative...

Leaked NSA presentation slides show it’s not just Verizon giving up data [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Last night, news broke of a secret court order from the National Security Agency (or NSA) requiring Verizon Wireless to hand over the call records of millions of US cell phone users. As you can imagine, mayhem ensued.

And then just as things began to calm down, another bombshell dropped this afternoon. The Washington Post claims it has obtained slides from a top secret security presentation that show Verizon's not the only company sharing your data...

Leaked court order reveals Verizon is handing over call records to NSA

Cody Lee ∙ June 6, 2013

According to a new report, a newly leaked court order has revealed that the National Security Agency (or NSA) is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of United States cell phone users on Verizon Wireless.

The order, which was granted to the FBI by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), requires the carrier to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its system from both within the US, and between the US and other countries...

Security flaw compromises restricted iOS apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Yesterday, we highlighted a proof-of-concept iPhone charger by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology which can be used to install malware on your non-jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch or iPad in under a minute. It's another example of the cat and mouse game played between hackers and Apple.

Today, we received word of an iOS security flaw which can be exploited to break the password required to restrict access to apps, content and features on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad...