Security

Yes, Apple keeps a log of who you contact on iMessage for 30 days

A new report is out on Wednesday, claiming that Apple logs your iMessage contacts and may share them with police. The Intercept published the piece, along with an internal law enforcement document that shows Apple tracks information like IP addresses, phone numbers and time, and stores it for up to 30 days.

At first glance, the report can be a bit unsettling, conjuring thoughts like: "isn't Apple always preaching about user privacy" and "I thought iMessage was one of the most secure messaging services, thanks to its end-to-end encryption." But it doesn't take much digging to realize this is likely much ado about nothing.

Apple said to be meeting up with high profile hackers as part of its new bug bounty program

Apple has reportedly reached out to a handful of high profile iPhone and Mac hackers to try and secure their operating systems from exploits that could be used maliciously or for jailbreaking.

The hackers are expected to meet at the Cupertino campus some time this month, where they can earn up to $200,000 for finding major exploits as part of Apple's bug bounty program.

MacID update brings improvements for iOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Sierra

An important update for the popular MacID utility for iOS and macOS has been released this week with improvements for iOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Sierra.

The utility is known for its ability to let you securely unlock your Mac with the Touch ID sensor on your iPhone or iPad, but it also has built-in features that let you unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch over Bluetooth or with a Tap to Unlock gesture on the trackpad.

Yahoo confirms hack, says data from 500 million user accounts stolen

Yahoo on Thursday confirmed that certain user account information was stolen from the company's network in late 2014. Recode has the official statement, which says that it believes more than 500 million users were affected by the breach.

The good news is that Yahoo says from what it knows so far, the stolen information doesn't include payment card data, bank account information, or unprotected passwords. The firm is working closely with law enforcement in its investigation.

AppRestrict lets you stay productive by putting time limits on your apps

I have a pretty bad problem with procrastination, which is made worse by all the distractions I deal with, and it seems like a mutual issue for a lot of people who own smartphones because notifications always go off left and right.

Fortunately, a new jailbreak tweak called AppRestrict offers a way to stay more productive with your life by setting time frames for which certain apps on your iPhone or iPad will be locked to keep you from getting distracted.

Apple issues Security Updates for OS X El Capitan and Yosemite

Apple on Thursday issued Security Updates for OS X El Capitan and Yosemite. The releases patch multiple vulnerabilities that allow an application to disclose kernel memory, and executive arbitrary code with kennel privileges.

If this sounds familiar, it's because these are the same exploits patched in the latest iOS 9.3.5 update. Apple again credits Citizen Lab and Lookout research firms with the find, and recommends that all users install the updates.

iOS 9.3.5 update patches three major security vulnerabilities

The just-released iOS 9.3.5 update patches three major security vulnerabilities, reports The New York Times. Apple was alerted to the flaws just 10 days ago by security researchers Bill Marczak and John Scott Railton, and is urging users to update.

Investigators discovered that Israeli-based digital arms dealer NSO Group was using the exploits in software it sells that can track smartphones. The program can read texts and emails, track calls and location, and can record sounds and passwords.