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iTunes WiFi Sync Security
- Thread starter cookieme
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No, that is definitely not my intention!
I want to know whether the syncing process is encrypted or not before I switch from USB to WiFi syncing.
Are you really that paranoid someone will just happen to be snooping on your network at the exact moment you do a WiFi sync?
Why don't you and future posters stick to the original question! I am not interested in your meaningless thoughts as to why you think I have asked my question!
I have asked a question because I am interested in factual information with regards to the security of iTunes WiFi syncing. Nothing more and nothing less.
If you don't have anything useful to add then go waste your time some where else! The purpose of a forum like this is to get help. Someone asks a question and others try to answer. Keep irrelevant crap to yourself. Thanks.
Okay: It's not secure at all.
Happy?
it's basically as secure as any file sharing that occurs on your WiFi network. If you've got WPA/WPA2 with a strong passphrase, or even 802.1x running on your Wifi network, then it, along with everything else, has a decent level of protection on it.
If on the other hand, you have WEP, or aren't running any sorry of encrypting at all, and your access point is wide open, then your Wifi sync is as insecure as your web browsing is. Let's hope you use Facebook, Google apps/mail/+, and anything else you want private over SSL, otherwise it's all out there in the open.
Fact: like most wireless traffic over your network, wireless syncing is probably depending on the transport layer to be secure. If you don't have your Wifi secure, then WiFi iTunes syncing should be the least of your concerns.
So, if you're really that worried about whether your neighbor is snooping on your WiFi and will find out that you still listen to Hanson, then you should stick to cable syncing. WHile you're at it, you should probably take down the router and go all-ethernet cable, before that pesky neighbor discovers more damaging info than that.
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To the OP:
You'll never find any useful information, unfortunately... Apple is about simplicity, not security or disclosure. Though, to make you feel better, I looked too. There's nothing that I could find anywhere that told anything about it, and given you can't even find official specs for the iPhone anymore, I gave up trying.
To the rest, yes, there are legitimate reasons to ask this, and honestly, I don't see why anyone would get upset or be insulting over someone asking a question. If you don't like it, ignore it, and it'll be gone in a day or so.
My advice to everyone would be to step back and take a deep breath.
You'll never find any useful information, unfortunately... Apple is about simplicity, not security or disclosure. Though, to make you feel better, I looked too. There's nothing that I could find anywhere that told anything about it, and given you can't even find official specs for the iPhone anymore, I gave up trying.
To the rest, yes, there are legitimate reasons to ask this, and honestly, I don't see why anyone would get upset or be insulting over someone asking a question. If you don't like it, ignore it, and it'll be gone in a day or so.
My advice to everyone would be to step back and take a deep breath.
I'm really trying not to laugh... I meant real specs... That "ad sheet" gives more info about the specs for the headphones than it does real information about the phone itself... (processor, RAM, battery type, etc.)I know some of you think that specs don't matter, and to a degree, you're right. Between different platforms, they don't, but if the specs don't get bumped much between say the 4 and 4S, why would I upgrade? If there's a significant bump, it might be worth the money for what I know would be a performance boost.
I don't want to take the word of a guy on a stage that is trying to sell me a product when he says the new phone is "twice as fast". I like numbers and facts. That's reality. A guy on a stage is advertising.
Anywho, that's what I meant by a spec sheet. Your link... that wasn't it.
guys.. this was a totally valid question. just imagine a scenario when you're NOT on your own private network with your device. Your iDevice and iTunes Mac are just on the same network.. At the airport, at the guest-network at a client or whatever. So what happens: They synchronize.
I guess nobody has looked at it now. I haven't dared to use it so far - just due to the fact that I don't know /how/ the connection is secured.
If I look at it, I'll post observations.
Cheers
JeffRson
I guess nobody has looked at it now. I haven't dared to use it so far - just due to the fact that I don't know /how/ the connection is secured.
If I look at it, I'll post observations.
Cheers
JeffRson
YES. That. I would like to register my interest in hearing an answer to this. It sounded like an issue of merely academic interest until this example came up. My wife is travelling this week and will likely be in airport terminals with both her macbook AND iPhone. I'm sure a sync will happen at some point..
If worried just switch hers to sync over USB instead. Then it won't sync at all until she plugs it in.
As with any good security approach always take the highest precaution. If you can't confirm the sync process encrypts the data stream at the application level assume its unencrypted.
Therefore, take precaution and disable the syncing process before connecting to an open network. Rely on USB if you are out and about.
I believe in iTunes prefs you may be able to set iTunes to not automatically sync when a device connects.
Therefore, take precaution and disable the syncing process before connecting to an open network. Rely on USB if you are out and about.
I believe in iTunes prefs you may be able to set iTunes to not automatically sync when a device connects.