iCloud bypass scheme continue affecting Apple Inc: 2 Security Authentications added to iMessage, FaceTime

By Staff Writer

Mar 19, 2015 10:38 AM EDT

The scheme of iCloud bypass has been a big threat for Apple Inc. for quite some time now. Many hackers around are enjoying the benefits of iCloud security flaws by fixing a locked iPhone, whatever the model, using activation code or software with payment. The company continues battling with this issue. Recently, they have added two-factor authentication to iMessage and FaceTime for better security.

iCloud bypass is perhaps the biggest threat to Apple security. According to a report, hackers bypass the iCloud security system for locked iOS devices using some Activation Lock. With the use also of the hackers' sites, a locked iOS device can be tricked into thinking it's talking to Apple's iCloud servers when connected to a computer.

Last September, various celebrities were became victims of hacking incidents on iPhone backups. Hackers released private information and photos of celebrities that caused humiliation to the affected accounts and Apple Inc. itself.

Previously, lawmakers are pushing legislation that requires all smartphones to have built-in kill switches, after the iPhone theft accounting for about half the crimes in San Francisco and New York.

However, this move did not stop these schemes. Symantec has recently discovered an operation that aims to unlock Apple devices after they have been lost or stolen, which requires either the device's passcode or the credentials for a person's iCloud account.

According to Symantec, the criminals send a text message to the phone number, saying something like "Apple Inc. Your iPad Air 3G 64GB Space Gray linked to [email address] has been located today at 14:14 PDT. See location: [link]." The link leads to a phishing site that is designed to look like the login screen for iCloud.

Once victim's iCloud credentials are collected, it is possible for a thief to turn off "Lost Mode" and begin using the device, it was learned.

Just this week, Invest Correctly reported that Apple Inc. has moved to boost the security of the accounts of its FaceTime and iMessage users, by the newly added two-factor authentication. It is said that the users of FaceTime and iMessage will be required to enter an additional code beside their account password to access the services. The move is most likely to put off hackers if they cannot access the phone of their target.

The move means that even if a hacker gets access to your password, he cannot get access to your iMessage or FaceTime account unless he also has your phone to retrieve and enter the unique code. That means, it will be harder for hackers to gain illegal access to FaceTime and iMessage contents.

As per Apple, they are "deeply committed to protecting our customers' privacy and security. We're aware of intermittent organized network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information, and we take this very seriously."

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