After a forty hour investigation, Apple has concluded that the “hack” exposing nude pictures of celebrities was a targeted attack, not a widespread vulnerability. Over the weekend, the media speculated that hacking tools may have been responsible for the breach but that’s not the case.
According to Apple, the celebrities suffered from a “very targeted attack” that exploited their passwords and security questions. This type of attack is nothing new, as Wired editor Mat Honan faced a similar attack in 2012.
The celebrities also could have fallen victim to phishing attacks, whereby hackers compose fake emails that look like a site or service is asking for their username and passwords.
We still don’t have conclusive evidence of how the attackers gained access to the celebrity iCloud accounts but Apple is certain its security is sound. iCloud encrypts data and offers two-factor authentication, making it difficult for hackers. But none of this matters if someone falls victim to social engineering.
Apple is continuing its investigation with law enforcement to get to identify those responsible for the breach.
Be sure to check out our guides on what you need to know about syncing photos to your iCloud account and how to protect your online identity.
Source: Apple
Related Stories
What you need to know about syncing photos in iCloud
Apple is ‘actively investigating’ possible iCloud security breach
Tox aims to be an open source and secure alternative to Skype
Apple event confirmed for September 9th, iOS 8 coming soon
Microsoft responds to Windows Store fake app problem
Follow Lewis on Twitter: @lewisleong
