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Apple Responds to Report About Thieves Spying on iPhone Passcodes to 'Steal Your Entire Digital Life'
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Apple could provide extra security. Even something simple like a prompt to answer a challenge question would patch this exploit.
Of course nothing is going to happen if it’s just a few isolated cases, and it hasn’t received significant media attention. I’m sure Apple is aware of the situation, hoping it will quietly go away. I also think they are probably working on a fix in case it doesn’t.
I’m not sure keypass allows for challenge questions. In keypass land the physical trusted device and its passcode and biometrics are the keys to the kingdom.
Obviously in its current iteration it doesn’t. This is why it needs to change. You can’t have six numeric digits to access and change every single thing. Whoever came up with this idea, didn’t think it through. Sure it’s stronger against a remote attack, but significantly weaker against an in person attack. I’m pretty sure cell phones are likely one of the most stolen electronic devices out there so to put that much trust in a device that gets stolen so much is ridiculous. Whoever came up with us needs to go back to the drawing board and rethink it. It’s a good idea, but it needs improvements.
Gas stations ask you to enter your zip code which would seem like something easy to bypass; but apparently not as they've done this forever.
It's easy to bypass, but it's something rather than just nothing. I don't get the logic behind this whole thing. Most people would agree that using passwords like password123, reusing them and not having two factor authentication is absolutely terrible, but let's just make a six digit numeric code your password to everything. Having the device is something, but it should not allow access without something else. I think we pushed the security/convenience slider too far over to the convenience side.
I really think they haven't thought this one through. I'm not enabling passkeys on anything, unless it's required. So far I haven't run into this. I have a feeling this is going to hit the fan really hard and they're going to have to rethink the strategy.
I think a good way to solve would be to have a secondary passcode/password to go into deeper system settings that a user is just unlikely going to use often, especially in public.
It could even be two secondary passwords that have to be authenticated before the users' critical info can be gotten into.
Bringing back touch ID to pair with face ID, I can see plenty of different combinations that can be done.
To authenticate for most use, like taking photos, browsing the web, email, texts, face ID or touch ID should be sufficient, or even a basic passcode should be sufficient. Activities could be classified into different security categories. A low security category could be stuff you can do on the lockscreen, take photos with the camera, view notifications, then the next layer down could enable the user to view photos, watch videos, watch tv, watch youtube, browse the web, then another layer down gets into stuff like email, notes, then further layers down gets into banking apps, and so on.
A user could even say punch in different passcodes that enable different security profiles for what they want to do. For instance, I could have a long 12 digit passcode, but the first 4 digits could be used to access the phone if all I want to do is watch my itunes movies, watch some netflix/hulu/youtube, browse the web to check some scores, check the weather, check some stock quotes, read a book, etc. If I say attempted to open my photos, then the phone could ask me for the first 6 digits of that passcode to unlock another layer of security, and as long as its face ID continues to recognize me in my current phone session, it maintains that level of authentication, or I could even tell it to go back to the more basic security level.
We could even have panic passcodes, where if we're under duress, punching that passcode in seemingly unlocks the phone, but it really unlocks it into a security profile where photos may exist, but they're all Apple's "demo" photos, emails are actually useless emails, notes are just random stuff that is of no real importance, banking apps may exist but they're all just fake data, credit cards may exist in apple pay but they're actually non-functional, etc, find my is discreetly enabled but does not show tracking, the cameras start recording and discreetly uploaded real time into the cloud, etc.
It could even be two secondary passwords that have to be authenticated before the users' critical info can be gotten into.
Bringing back touch ID to pair with face ID, I can see plenty of different combinations that can be done.
To authenticate for most use, like taking photos, browsing the web, email, texts, face ID or touch ID should be sufficient, or even a basic passcode should be sufficient. Activities could be classified into different security categories. A low security category could be stuff you can do on the lockscreen, take photos with the camera, view notifications, then the next layer down could enable the user to view photos, watch videos, watch tv, watch youtube, browse the web, then another layer down gets into stuff like email, notes, then further layers down gets into banking apps, and so on.
A user could even say punch in different passcodes that enable different security profiles for what they want to do. For instance, I could have a long 12 digit passcode, but the first 4 digits could be used to access the phone if all I want to do is watch my itunes movies, watch some netflix/hulu/youtube, browse the web to check some scores, check the weather, check some stock quotes, read a book, etc. If I say attempted to open my photos, then the phone could ask me for the first 6 digits of that passcode to unlock another layer of security, and as long as its face ID continues to recognize me in my current phone session, it maintains that level of authentication, or I could even tell it to go back to the more basic security level.
We could even have panic passcodes, where if we're under duress, punching that passcode in seemingly unlocks the phone, but it really unlocks it into a security profile where photos may exist, but they're all Apple's "demo" photos, emails are actually useless emails, notes are just random stuff that is of no real importance, banking apps may exist but they're all just fake data, credit cards may exist in apple pay but they're actually non-functional, etc, find my is discreetly enabled but does not show tracking, the cameras start recording and discreetly uploaded real time into the cloud, etc.
How would you make sure the user would remember that secondary pin to avoid locking themselves out of their account/phone?
I agree with that. I don't think increasing security by that much is really necessary or wise.
My biggest problem with the way things are is that if someone gets your passcode however which way, they can change your iCloud account password and passcode, so in effect locking you out of your own data and devices with no recourse possible.
It's gone, period, even though Apple knows what was there but they will not give it back to you. That's just wrong. There has to be some way to get your data/licenses back. Your car gets stolen and recovered intact, you eventually can get that car back. Data should be no different, so Apple *must* either allow to regain control of your own account via some kind of delay in password/passcode changes or using your old password for a certain amount of time -- or having a way to validate the account owner and to allow them to regain an account.
Knowing what I know now, I would never have purchased *any* digital content from apple, but I didn't know the risk back then, nor was it pointed out by Apple. (not to mention the changes that have happened since then) Heck, I would have liked to not ever use iCloud at all, but it's kind of hard to download apps without it, even free ones.
The solution is to be vigilant when inputting your device passcode in a public location. You’ll probably find more of your online services switching to passkeys, which means even more of your digital accounts will be secured by your trusted device and it’s passcode.
100% disagree. That's not the problem and it's impossible to do. Say someone pojnts a gun at your head -- are you not going to give them your passcode? How about hidden cameras in a public place? How are you going to hide keying in your passcode for every possible angle and be able to key it in yourself? lol!!!!!!!!!
<chuckle> That's not going to go well in the end.
They are very unlikely scenarios in comparison to the much more likely scenario of having a password compromised. Pick your poison.
Unlikely doesn't mean it wont happen. I can guarantee it will. Until we have a way to authenticate with 100% accuracy the owners, compromising a passcode or password can happen to anyone.
If you'd have fully read what I said, getting your account back is what's needed. Password or passcode, it's all the same and right now if someone compromises whichever, you lose it all, your devices, your digital data, ALL. Even if you were conscientious in your passcode usage. That's what's not acceptable
Probably an impossible problem to solve without tying digital accounts to real IDs when first created.
I can recover a google account that I've been locked out of, there's no reason I should be able to with my iCloud account too.
You wouldn’t be able to recover your Google account in this situation either because the thief will have changed your password, removed your 2FA apps/numbers and set up new ones.
You’d have no way of accessing or recovering the account.
That's not true, and definitely not what google says.
Secure a hacked or compromised Google Account - Google Account Help
If you notice unfamiliar activity on your Google Account, Gmail, or other Google products, someone else might be using it without your permission. If you think your Google Account or Gmail have been h
support.google.com
You can go through the same iCloud account recovery with Apple.That's not true, and definitely not what google says.
Secure a hacked or compromised Google Account - Google Account Help
If you notice unfamiliar activity on your Google Account, Gmail, or other Google products, someone else might be using it without your permission. If you think your Google Account or Gmail have been h
How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple Account password – Apple Support (UK)
If you use two-factor authentication and can’t sign in or reset your password, you can regain access after an account recovery waiting period.
Also not true. That's for forgetting the password, not someone compromising your password and passcodes.You can go through the same iCloud account recovery with Apple.
How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple Account password – Apple Support (UK)
If you use two-factor authentication and can’t sign in or reset your password, you can regain access after an account recovery waiting period.support.apple.com
Always keep your credit report LOCKED until there is a reason to temporarily unlock it (allow pre-approval for home purchases, apply for new credit, etc.), then lock it again.
Read the information in the link:
“Account recovery is a process designed to get you back into your Apple ID account when you don’t have enough information to reset your password. “
I did read it. Read it yourself. It wont help you if someone changed your password and passcode on your trusted device.