If you're running macOS High Sierra, don't let anyone near your Apple Mac. It's possible for anyone to login to the Mac and get the admin level of access to change passwords, get access to all data on the main account and lock the original user out.
Fortunately, there's a fix that should solve the problem, even as Apple works to patch. First, the bug. In what may go down as one of the most embarrassing vulnerabilities in Apple history, all a "hacker" needs to do is sign in as an "Other" user, type in "root" for a username and no password. Then they're in. Experts tested the vulnerability and found it wide open, allowing a change of passwords for other accounts on the Mac.
Read moreFBI special agent Christopher Combs complained how the agency couldn't get into the Texas shooter's phone during a press conference. Turns out all they had to do was ask Apple for help.
In a statement the tech titan has released to the media, it said it "immediately reached out to the FBI after learning from their press conference on Tuesday that investigators were trying to access a mobile phone." Cupertino offered its assistance and even promised to "expedite [its] response to any legal process." The company told that the FBI has yet to ask for help accessing the phone.
Read moreA bug that has been confirmed on both iOS 11 and iOS 11.1 beta allows hackers to bypass the passcode of an iPhone and access the photos stored in the gallery by simply dialing your phone number.
Discovered by YouTube iDeviceHelp, this bug can be exploited by dialing the phone number of the locked iPhone. To gain unauthorized access, the exploit also involves invoking Siri, so if the digital assistant is disabled on your device, you’re on the safe side. As you can see for yourselves in the video at the end of the article, the method is quite complex and even though it’s hard to believe that someone would discover it by mistake.
Read moreOne of iOS' rougher edges are the popups it produces on a regular but seemingly random basis. These popups require users to enter their Apple ID before they can install or update an app or complete some other mundane task.
The prompts have grown so common most people don't think twice about them. Mobile app developer Felix Krause makes a compelling case that these popups represent a potential security hole through which attackers can steal user credentials. In a blog post published Tuesday, he showed side-by-side comparisons, pictured above, of an official popup produced by iOS and a proof-of-concept phishing popup.
Read moreThe new top-of-the-range iPhone does away with the home button and its built-in fingerprint reader in favor of a new biometric — called Face ID — which uses a 3D scan of the user’s face for authenticating and unlocking their device. It also replaces Touch ID for Apple Pay too.
Apple suggests this is an advancement over a fingerprint reader because it’s an easier and more natural action for the user to perform — you just look at the phone and it unlocks; no need to worry if you have wet fingers and so on. However offering to gate the smorgasbord of personal content that lives on a smartphone behind a face biometric inevitably raises lots of security questions.
Read moreSecurity researchers have discovered an old version of Mac malware that has reappeared in the wild and managed to hijack Mac machines to generate profit for attackers.
The attack, dubbed Mughthesec, appears to be a modified strain of a known adware attack known as OperatorMac. However the new version presents an evolved threat for Mac users, as the adware has found a way to appear as a legitimate application and bypass Apple’s built in security systems. Mughthesec masquerades as an Adobe Flash installer and installs itself on a victim’s device if they agree to install the illegitimate Flash update.
Read moreApple Inc. is working on a feature that will let you unlock your iPhone using your face instead of a fingerprint. For its redesigned iPhone, set to go on sale later this year, Apple is testing an improved security system that allows users to log in, authenticate payments, and launch secure apps by scanning their face, according to people familiar with the product.
This is powered by a new 3-D sensor, added the people, who asked not to be identified discussing technology that’s still in development. The company is also testing eye scanning to augment the system, one of the people said. The sensor’s speed and accuracy are focal points of the feature.
Read moreAfter years toiling away in secret on a car project, Tim Cook has for the first time elaborated on the company’s plans in the automotive market. “We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” Cook said in a June 5 interview.
“It’s a core technology that we view as very important.” He likened the effort to “the mother of all AI projects,” saying it’s “probably one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.” The prospect of self-driving cars has seen a slew of technology companies push into the auto industry, according to McKinsey & Co. Alphabet’s Waymo unit has signed partnerships with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Lyft to develop the technology.
Read moreScience is worthless if it isn’t motivated by basic human values and the desire to help people, Apple CEO Tim Cook told graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday, urging them to use their powers for good.
In a commencement address, Cook — who as Apple’s chief executive since 2011 has overseen the rollout of the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch — said the company is constantly looking for ways to combine tech with a sense of humanity and compassion. “Whatever you do in your life, and whatever we do at Apple, we must infuse it with the humanity that we are born with,” said Cook.
Read moreSometimes, it's not external hackers that pose a threat to your privacy -- it's people in the supply chain hoping to make some cash on the side. Police in China's Zhejiang province have arrested 22 (apparently third-party) Apple distributors for allegedly selling iPhone user data.
Officials say the workers searched an internal Apple database for sensitive info, such as Apple IDs and phone numbers, and peddled it on the black market for between $1.50 to $26. All told, the distributors reportedly raked in about $7.36 million, before authorities stepped in. It's not clear how many people are affected by the bootleg sales, or how many of the victims live outside of China.
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