iPad Hacks: Is iPad Security Stronger Than a Chocolate Fireguard?

A major security breach occurred a couple of days ago where a group of hackers managed to bypass AT&T’s security systems. The hackers managed to access and download the personal details and email addresses of at least 114,000 iPad users. Not only have the details of ordinary people like you and I been compromised, big companies have been made vulnerable with security breaches affecting CEO’s from the New York Times, Microsoft and Google. Even top ranking military personal and NASA employees have been hacked. The ONLY saving grace is that a legitimate security firm, ‘Goatse Security’, undertook the hacks. This does beg the question: if they can do this, who else can?

According to Goatse Security, as soon as the breach was identified, AT&T was notified. The downloaded material was destroyed immediately and AT&T has apparently plugged the hackable hole. It is very easy to play down these breaches, but secure storage of personal information is a big issue. As our lives become increasingly virtual, we need to be absolutely satisfied that our data is only in the hands of those who are authorized to hold it. A major way to halt the success of the iPad revolution in its tracks is for customers to believe that its security systems are as water tight as a sieve.

So how did Goatse Securty manage the hack? Apparently it was too easy. They managed to obtain a number of ICC-ID’s. From there they wrote a simple automated script to make consistent enquiries on AT&T’s website until its security measures were broken. If Goatse Security could do it, any reasonable hacker would equally be able to succeed. The data collected was handed over to Gawker.com and then destroyed. Goatse didn’t contact AT&T directly, but the telecoms company was ‘made aware’ of the problem before the information was released.

The US government considers this to be very serious. There has therefore been an inquiry opened to investigate this breach, headed by the FBI. I wonder whether these holes in security are another symptom of the premature release of the iPad. The expectation for Apple’s magical tablet was so enormous, the company was perhaps under too much pressure to release before all appropriate checks were made. How many more holes and breaches will reveal themselves as time goes on? And how many times will customers’ personal data be at risk of being stolen?