Security

Snapchat apologizes (yes, apologizes!) for spam increase following data breach

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

Perhaps realizing that apologizing isn’t a sign of weakness, Snapchat, the popular photo messaging application, took to the official blog to apologize for the spam increase observed during the weekend.

"We’ve heard some complaints over the weekend about an increase in Snap Spam on our service," a Monday post reads. The company has tried to make peace with disgruntled users by offering a formal apology. "We want to apologize for any unwanted Snaps," the team wrote.

The spam increase, the post claims, has nothing to do with a recent breach that saw a group of hackers breach its database and post 4.6 million user names and phone numbers on the web...

1Pal: a new jailbreak tweak for saving 1Password’s master password to the Keychain [updated]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 10, 2014

I know, I know. It's very stupid to use any tweaks with something as crucial as 1Password. I know, I know, it's identity theft waiting to happen.

Not exactly. 1Pal is a new jailbreak tweak that works in tandem with existing Touch ID tweaks like BioLockdown. It allows you to save the Master Password to iOS' keychain for quick logins. Since the 1Password app itself is protected with Touch ID, the process is innately secure. The only real way this poses a security issue is if someone gains access to your fingerprint. Not impossible, but not exactly likely either.

At the end of the day, 1Pal is an awesome tweak for 1Password users. If you're like me and you use 1Password each and every day, you'll find 1Pal to be a real time saver.

Remember, you must have a Touch ID enabled device for this to work. Right now, only the iPhone 5s features Touch ID. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside as I showcase how it works.

Galaxy S5 confirmed: due late-April, iris scanner a possibility, beast specs rumored

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 15, 2017

Yesterday, I told you that Dennis Miloseski, head of studio for Samsung Design America, basically confirmed that the Galaxy maker will be adding new wearable devices to its Galaxy Gear smartwatch lineup in 2014. He also noted that the South Korean company tends to have two major launches.

One is for its Galaxy S flagship handset in the Spring and the other tends to be for the Note phablet in the Fall. Speaking to Bloomberg today, a Samsung executive vice president has now officially confirmed that the Galaxy S5, a successor to the current S4, is coming by the end of April.

It will feature a brand new design and may or may not take on Apple's Touch ID with an iris scanning technology. Hardware-wise, Samsung shouldn't disappoint as the S5 is shaping up to be quite a beast of the phone.

With the upcoming iPhone 6 in the pipeline, I thought we should compile everything we "know" about Samsung's next big thing that'll take on the iPhone in a few months time, all over again...

Snapchat is ‘sorry’ for data breach, strengthens mobile app security

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

Snapchat has found itself in some pretty hot water after a group of anonymous hackers on New Year's Eve breached its database and leaked 4.6 million usernames and phone numbers on the web. The controversy wasn't necessarily about the security breach itself, but over Snapchat's stubborn refusal to publicly acknowledge the situation, apologize for the inconvenience and update customers on steps taken, if any, to rectify the situation.

It's mind-boggling that Snapchat was aware of a security hole in its API for several weeks yet did absolutely nothing to plug it, an inexplicable move that has in turn allowed the hackers to successfully exploit Snapchat's shortcomings and steal user data.

Today, the company has finally gone on the record to confirm that a new update to its Android and iOS apps improves security by letting folks opt out of the Find Friends feature which has, partially, allowed for the hack.

And although the company has yet to formally apologize for the messy handling of the situation, it now says it's "sorry" for any problems this issue may have caused its users...

Touchy: launch apps with specific fingers using Touch ID

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 28, 2023

Touchy is an awesome new tweak that allows users to assign specific apps to designated fingers via the iPhone 5s' Touch ID sensor. I've been testing the upcoming jailbreak tweak through several iterations, and it's coming along quite nicely.

Touchy lets you assign up to five different apps to work with up to five different fingers via its settings panel. Since it uses Touch ID, you'll need to make sure you set up the fingerprints via Touch ID's settings beforehand. You don't have to configure all five fingers, you'll just need to have as many prints set up as you want to assign to shortcuts.

Understandably, most of the tweaks we've seen involving Touch ID revolve around some sort of security aspect, but Touchy is among the first Touch ID oriented tweaks that dares to do something different. Take a look at our video inside to see how the tweak works in action.

BioLockdown: the best way to secure apps with Touch ID

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 6, 2014

Ryan Petrich has done it again—not that that comes as a surprise to any of us at iDB. Of course, Touch ID enabled tweaks are all the rage these days, and quite a few developers are starting to release tweaks that take advantage of the iPhone 5s' flagship feature.

Most of the tweaks being released have a security related aura about them, which is understandable considering that Touch ID is all about security in its stock implementation. One such tweak called BioProtect was released a couple of days ago, and while it was hard not to get extremely excited about it, I feel that BioLockdown, Pertrich's tweak, is by far the better of the two.

I feel that way, not just because BioProtect came packed with a serious flaw that caused its superfluous animations to run constantly in the background, draining your battery; it's because BioLockdown is better designed, has a better feature-set, and it's cheaper. It's also from a developer that keeps his releases updated constantly, and communicates well with those who use his apps.

Check out our full video walkthrough of BioLockdown after the jump. You'll see why this is hands-down the best Touch ID security tweak to hit Cydia thus far.

BioProtect: Protect individual apps with Touch ID

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 3, 2014

Hot on the heels of another Touch ID enabled jailbreak tweak comes BioProtect—a tweak exclusively dedicated to protecting individual apps with Touch ID. Unlike the previous tweak we covered, AppLocker, BioProtect's entire goal is solely based on securing individual apps by means of Touch ID.

The singular focus is immediately noticeable while using BioProtect. Its graphics, design, and preferences are all orientated towards the single goal. This makes BioProtect the best choice for those of you who are only interested in Touch ID-based app security. Have a look at our full video walkthrough, which breaks down the tweak, inside.

Hackers leak 4.6M Snapchat usernames and phone numbers, see if you’ve been affected

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Bad news, Snapchat fans: a group of anonymous hackers have successfully exploited a nasty security hole in the popular IM application to hijack a whopping 4.6 million usernames and phone numbers, publishing this private data on a website called SnapchatDB.info.

The circa 40MB SQL database dump (also available as a CSV file) includes phone numbers and usernames, along with the affected users' geographical region information.

Why did they do it? The leaked private information “is being shared with the public to raise awareness” of a Snapchat API exploit they'd used for the hack.

Snapchat has been aware of the security loophole in its application since August, but did literally nothing to patch it. Is there a way to see if you've been affected? Yes, there is. Read on for the full reveal...

Apple denies knowledge of NSA’s iPhone program

Cody Lee ∙ December 31, 2013

Yesterday, a trove of secret documents was released regarding the NSA and its ongoing spying on citizens both abroad and here in the US. One of the programs mentioned, called DROPOUTJEEP, is particularly scary as it can give the Agency complete control of any iPhone.

These are some pretty serious allegations made against the NSA and maybe more-so Apple, who either has several unknown security holes in its mobile OS or is consciously giving the NSA access. Well the company just responded to these claims, and it appears to be the former...

Leaked documents show the NSA can gain nearly complete access to your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

In June of this year, Edward Snowden shocked the world by leaking a number of slides and documents and revealing that the NSA has backdoor access to the databases of 9 major tech companies, including Apple and Facebook. But as it turns out, its access may not be limited to software.

Since Snowden's initial outing, there has been a number of subsequent reports and leaks. And the latest to garner gasps from the security community is that the NSA has the ability to intercept the delivery of a new computer or mobile device—including iPhones—and build in a remote backdoor...

San Francisco DA wants Apple to enable Activation Lock by default on all iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón released survey results yesterday that he says makes an argument for Apple to enable its Activation Lock security feature on all iPhones. The DA has been publicly leading the charge for a solution to rising cell phone thefts.

Gascón's survey indicated that 78% of respondents who owned an iPhone have enabled the security feature, and according to him, that's a clear sign that Apple should begin enabling this tech on all of its phones as a standard. He believes that it should be completely 'opt out.'

Researchers have found a way to discreetly activate Mac iSight cameras

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Hackers have long had the ability to infiltrate a person's personal computer, and enable their webcam without their knowledge. We've been hearing horror stories about this for years, where users were covertly spied on through their PC's camera.

But Mac owners have always been led to believe that this can't happen with the iSight camera, because it's designed to always illuminate the adjacent green light every time it's active. Researchers have found a way, though, to get around this behavior...