Our top Apple news from the last week was spiked with stories about the Flashback Mac trojan that is making the rounds. We also published some original stories about whether Apple holds the encryption key to your iCloud data, and whether Apple has a backdoor to your iPhone's PIN or passcode. And that's just the beginning! Read on for the weekly roundup:
Flashback trojan reportedly controls half a million Macs and counting: The Mac Flashback trojan has reportedly infected more than half a million Macs, according to one antivirus firm, and the number just keeps going up.
Mac Flashback trojan exploits unpatched Java vulnerability, no password needed: The Flashback trojan for the Mac is now exploiting a critical bug in the Java software framework, allowing it to hijack machines even when users don't enter an administrative password. Apple has yet to distribute a fix.
Apple holds the master decryption key when it comes to iCloud security, privacy: While your iCloud data is relatively safe from hackers, Apple has a master key to everything on its servers. This makes iCloud less than ideal for enterprise users and those wary of law enforcement, but security experts do have recommendations to help improve user privacy.
Can Apple give police a key to your encrypted iPhone data? Ars investigates: Modern iPhone users can set a passcode on their devices to encrypt their data and protect their devices against outsiders. But does Apple have a backdoor around this user-defined passcode—and thus the data encryption—for the purposes of helping law enforcement? The answer isn't very straightforward.
Comics on the iPad: will the new iPad attract paper readers?: The new iPad brings high-definition to digital comics, but will HD finally bring the paper readers too?
New Siri lawsuit also accuses Apple of over-promising functionality: A second lawsuit over Siri's functionality on the iPhone 4S has popped up—the second in as many weeks—with both suits accusing Apple of over-selling Siri's abilities in its marketing campaigns.
Apple reportedly investigating iPad Wi-Fi issues, offering replacements: If you have a third-generation Wi-Fi iPad and are having problems connecting to Wi-Fi networks, hardware issues may be the cause.
Apple building fuel cells to help power N. Carolina data center: Apple has been talking a big game about its green energy plans. Now, it's moving forward with a fuel cell project in North Carolina to help power its facilities with renewable energy.
Facebook: iOS-based credential theft only works on lost or jailbroken devices: Facebook has responded to a report claiming that an attacker could exploit the Facebook app for iOS and Android to siphon off login credentials. The company says the exploit only works if the device has been jailbroken or an attacker gets access to it.
Some e-book publishers begin settlement talks; Apple holding out: Why would Apple and several book publishers be holding out on a settlement over alleged e-book price fixing? They likely don't want to let e-book prices dip, even though other publishers are reportedly on board.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Listing image by Photograph by Mooganic
reader comments
1