Apple and Other Smartphone Makers Back Global Anti-Theft Measures

[krye]

I don't like the idea of this mandatory "killswitch". What's to stop terrorists or hackers like Anonymous from getting their hands on that and killing every phone in America? Surely if Anonymous can hack the FBI's website, he can throw the killswitch.

Scary right?

 

[Mousse]

Google's "Anti-theft" measures will be easily disabled by side-loading an APK - as always. Wait and see - if they can't stop piracy, how are these blithering dunderheads going to "fix" security of this importance?

Custom ROM, bro. No matter what security they implement, flashing a custom ROM will make any software based security moot. The handset makers will have to have something inaccessible (by users and hackers) like the PROM to make it work.

I, for one, won't have a problem with someone trying to steal my phone, since it's not a desirable phone. 5 years ago, my Galaxy S would have been hot stuff, but now people snigger when I pull it out. Well it's an upgrade from my StarTAC that I used for 10+ years.

 

[Southern Dad]

What some don't seem to understand is that even if the thief steals your iPhone mid-call while it is unlocked for use or forces you to enter the PIN, this does not remove the activation lock that is in iOS 7. So far, no one has defeated this. Basically the iPhone or iPad is locked to your iTunes account. It cannot be activated by anyone else.

How many thieves are going to wait while you log into your iTunes account and delete the device that they are stealing?

 

[eyephonesix]

Custom ROM, bro. No matter what security they implement, flashing a custom ROM will make any software based security moot. The handset makers will have to have something inaccessible (by users and hackers) like the PROM to make it work.

I, for one, won't have a problem with someone trying to steal my phone, since it's not a desirable phone. 5 years ago, my Galaxy S would have been hot stuff, but now people snigger when I pull it out. Well it's an upgrade from my StarTAC that I used for 10+ years.

"blithering dunderheads" = Google, not the thieves.

 

[ActionableMango]

More of a gimmick

Do you actually have TouchID? I do, and it's a massive convenience.

The only problem is that when I use my iPad, I instinctively try to unlock it by holding my finger on the home button for a second or two after pressing it. Then I realize it doesn't have TouchID, so I have to enter my passcode like some kind of barbarian.

 

[cymad]

Hate Activation Lock

I absolutely hate Activation lock.

The thing is, its a really great idea and I like that no one can use any of my iDevices if they get stolen, as all my iDevices have passcodes - thus becoming useless to the thief.

HOWEVER - Apple is making it IMPOSSIBLE for you to get in touch with the person who actually owns the iPhone. Thousands of iPhones are on eBay that can't be returned to their owner as the e-mail address is blanked out! If you find a wiped phone because someone lost it, there is nothing you can do to get it back to them. Their sim won't work (blocked) and you can't even put your own sim in to call the previous owner. The entire activation lock is to REDUCE the amount of iPhone on the market. What it has done is reduce the cost to fix iPhones as they are now used as spare parts. If the device is at the "activation lock" screen, you can't find it on iCloud and can't send an automated message to it every time it is turned on with your email address or alternative phone number where the person can at least return the phone to for a "reward'.

 

[Swytch]

Does not prevent theft

Its disturbing that Law officials - you know the people who make and enforce laws and punishment - do not realize that these anti-theft features DO NOT deter theft, they only reduce the value of stolen goods.

They are giving thieves way to much credit, thieves are not as smart as they think they are (yes some are - but not the ones mugging people for phones), they may not even know that these anti-theft features exist and wont know which phones have it and which dont and which have it enabled and which can still be hacked. Also when the opportunity to steal a phone arises they dont necessarily have the time to think about whether or not it has any value. A thief will steal your phone, get away, and then an only then will they determine if they can get any money for it, and if they find out the phone is disabled, they will likely just toss it in the trash - and they will just assume they were unlucky and will steal the exact same phone again.

If anything I see these required anti-theft measures as causing iPhone theft to become much more violent... If the thieves do get smart enough, they will start killing or incapacitating victims for long enough to sell the phone before they can disable the phone. Or hunting down the victim after the fact as a vendetta for wiping the phone they stole and making it unsellable - criminals are ****ed up...

Dont get me wrong, i love the features. But mandating it as a law and saying it will solve all the problems of theft with phones - that is just ignorant...

 

[Dave.UK]

"blithering dunderheads" = Google, not the thieves.

Your reasoning behind that?

 

[Swytch]

I absolutely hate Activation lock.

The thing is, its a really great idea and I like that no one can use any of my iDevices if they get stolen, as all my iDevices have passcodes - thus becoming useless to the thief.

HOWEVER - Apple is making it IMPOSSIBLE for you to get in touch with the person who actually owns the iPhone. Thousands of iPhones are on eBay that can't be returned to their owner as the e-mail address is blanked out! If you find a wiped phone because someone lost it, there is nothing you can do to get it back to them. Their sim won't work (blocked) and you can't even put your own sim in to call the previous owner. The entire activation lock is to REDUCE the amount of iPhone on the market. What it has done is reduce the cost to fix iPhones as they are now used as spare parts. If the device is at the "activation lock" screen, you can't find it on iCloud and can't send an automated message to it every time it is turned on with your email address or alternative phone number where the person can at least return the phone to for a "reward'.

This is a very good point also... these anti-theft measure actually end up hurting the victim even more - making recovery of a stolen phone impossible - yet another reason a thief could care less about whether or not a phone they steal will be sellable - again thieves will steal anything - and then decide if it was worth it.

Didnt they say in the 90s to not to keep cash in your wallet to protect yourself from being mugged? did that work? no.. they will mug you, check your wallet, find no cash, and kick you and extra time for wasting their time...

 

[ScubaCinci]

Why can't the carriers just blacklist the phone via serial #? Seems to be a much simpler solution.

 

[Born Again]

Do you actually have TouchID? I do, and it's a massive convenience.

The only problem is that when I use my iPad, I instinctively try to unlock it by holding my finger on the home button for a second or two after pressing it. Then I realize it doesn't have TouchID, so I have to enter my passcode like some kind of barbarian.

It's convenient

100% but it's not ions faster

 

[eyephonesix]

It's convenient

100% but it's not ions faster

eons, not ions; ions are molecules

 

[phoenixsan]

At least.....

the phone makers are agreeing to some needed and useful. Not only as a deterrent to violent crimes and petty theft, but as medium to slow identity theft and misuse of personal data....

I really applaud and praise this news. Hope the implementations works as expected and effectively one user hurt by robbery can really KILL the phone and render it unusable....

 

[Born Again]

eons, not ions; ions are molecules

Yes
Would you not rather have the home button eliminated ?

 

[ActionableMango]

I absolutely hate Activation lock.

The thing is, its a really great idea and I like that no one can use any of my iDevices if they get stolen, as all my iDevices have passcodes - thus becoming useless to the thief.

HOWEVER - Apple is making it IMPOSSIBLE for you to get in touch with the person who actually owns the iPhone.

Not impossible. Not even difficult.

Slip a business card between the phone and case. Mention a reward if found, no questions asked.

Don't have a case? No problem. I used an image editor to put my email address on my lock screen's background image. Now if, for example, I leave my iPhone in the test lab at work, anyone can just press the button and see whose phone it is.

 

[eyephonesix]

Yes
Would you not rather have the home button eliminated ?

Please get back to planet earth; your fellow humans are here to greet you.

 

[Yumbo]

These are good news for me too (I have an iPhone, and these features may be useful someday, I hope not)... BUT I think laptop Anti-Theft mesures are as important as phones.

My 13'' Mid-2012 MacBook Pro was stolen a few days ago... and iCloud (Find My Mac) has been useless so far. Somehow the thief managed to not get my MB locked or wiped as of today (it was stolen on April 11th).

The Location Services (GPS) should not depend on the state of the device, wether it is powered on or off, it should always be able to be tracked. Also, the Find My Mac feature should not be able to be turned off... if you do a clean OS install, and never connect the mac to internet, you just need to be careful to turn off Find My Mac before connecting it, and it will never get locked or found by iCloud.

There should be a way to make the device a brick, not only wipe it or lock it.

Many people are working on a way to violate all the Anti-Theft security implemented by Apple, and be sure someone will accomplish it soon, if they have not done it already.

Did you enable the screen lock as well? If so, it's simply not being used at all possibly.

Clean install requires a password if FMM is enabled, no?

 

[Born Again]

Please get back to planet earth; your fellow humans are here to greet you.

Hi - believe me apple will have the "home button" built into the screen within a few years

 

[Yumbo]

I absolutely hate Activation lock.

The thing is, its a really great idea and I like that no one can use any of my iDevices if they get stolen, as all my iDevices have passcodes - thus becoming useless to the thief.

HOWEVER - Apple is making it IMPOSSIBLE for you to get in touch with the person who actually owns the iPhone. Thousands of iPhones are on eBay that can't be returned to their owner as the e-mail address is blanked out! If you find a wiped phone because someone lost it, there is nothing you can do to get it back to them. Their sim won't work (blocked) and you can't even put your own sim in to call the previous owner. The entire activation lock is to REDUCE the amount of iPhone on the market. What it has done is reduce the cost to fix iPhones as they are now used as spare parts. If the device is at the "activation lock" screen, you can't find it on iCloud and can't send an automated message to it every time it is turned on with your email address or alternative phone number where the person can at least return the phone to for a "reward'.

If you find a phone, hand it in to the police.

 

[eyephonesix]

Hi - believe me apple will have the "home button" built into the screen within a few years

Apple will do what they do, when they do it.

Predicting Apple's design decisions is a fool's errand, as is evidenced all over this forum. If they do remove it they do, if they don't, they don't. I don't care either way, I can't change what they will do any more than anyone else can.

Making absolute, sweeping "predictions" is what egotists do when they can't help themselves BUT say something that they want to be recognised as having "insight" into (which they absolutely don't). I don't care what's "predicted", I care what my eyes see in front of me; actuality.

I'll wait, just as you will, just as every single person on this forum with an opinion, and just as the rest of the entire world OUTSIDE Apple, will. Noone knows, and all the people who think they know - for sure - are merely delusional.

 

[Born Again]

Apple will do what they do, when they do it.

Predicting Apple's design decisions is a fool's errand, as is evidenced all over this forum. If they do remove it they do, if they don't, they don't. I don't care either way, I can't change what they will do any more than anyone else can.

Making absolute, sweeping "predictions" is what egotists do when they can't help themselves BUT say something that they want to be recognised as having "insight" into (which they absolutely don't). I don't care what's "predicted", I care what my eyes see in front of me; actuality.

I'll wait, just as you will, just as every single person on this forum with an opinion, and just as the rest of the entire world OUTSIDE Apple, will. Noone knows, and all the people who think they know - for sure - are merely delusional.

Of course

The tech is there

We just need patience.

Right now we'll have to settle for subpar iterations from apple

 

[binaryskies]

So I can sell my iPhone and then screw over whom I sold it to?

You know this will happen.

Working at Apple, I actually haven't seen a lot of this. Occasionally, I'll get customers with this issue, but not as much as I expected..hopefully it stays this way. I hate giving the news of "sorry, but you bought a really expensive paper weight.".

 

[godofredog]

A good excuse for the not user accessible battery

How would that be possible without any power? At the very least you'd need a small trickle of power to the GPS device.

The battery is not accessible by the user, they could use it a power source... also, add a small battery only for that purpose.. I know, the GPS could drain the battery a lot faster, but only a few location updates per day will not hurt it that much.

Doing it this way, they could help a lot of people find their device a lot faster, instead of having to wait for days/weeks/months until someone gets to connect it to the internet, if ever.

 

[eyephonesix]

Of course

The tech is there

We just need patience.

Right now we'll have to settle for subpar iterations from apple

If you're never happy with the here and now - what you have got and not what you long for (usually irrelevant raw specs, based upon what Android vendors have put on a spec sheet), then EVERYTHING appears "sub-par". What is actually sub-par, is having the mindset that is to fixate on what isn't (and what possibly won't even EVER be), and become someone who is never satisfied, no matter what. People get carried away, comparing what Apple does to the RAW SPECS of what everyone else has; yes, they may have those specs, but they don't have (and never will have):

# iOS, and the whole Apple experience, not JUST raw specs and cores

# Apple's stellar support

# World class hardware design

# Unbeatable retention of value

Tell my Mum who has an iPhone 3GS that it's "sub-par" - she'd laugh at you and smile.

 

[godofredog]

This is completely true, find my mac is completely useless in OSX. Same thing happened to me, they just clean install and good to go. EFI password should be the default Mac OS password system.

As long as the EFI lock will not prevent the device from being found... The problem with EFI password is that it never boots, making it imposible to load any kind of application before the password is introduced. Adding activation lock to the BIOS, and enabling it before the EFI password would be an amazing innovation.