How effective is remote wipe on MobileMe?

[AdamA9]

Just had my iPhone 4 stolen during a work do (of all places). As soon as I realised that someone had lifted it from my pocket I used the hotel computer to initiate remote wipe, however, it appears the low life scum have already turned it off, so the wipe is pending. How safe is my data on the phone? Can they get anything off it without turning it on? Or if they take out the sim and put in another one, can they access my data?

A little worried at the moment as my phone insurance company don't have 24/7 phone lines so cannot block my phones IMEI number.

Help?

 

[Leet Apple]

When the phone gets turned on it should wipe

as for them taking out the SIM and using the Data, that could happen so i would suggest blocking your Phone real fast, worry about the iPhone 4 after

 

[alectheking]

Can I ask why you immedietly wiped it and didn't just lock it and then track it?

 

[AdamA9]

When the phone gets turned on it should wipe

as for them taking out the SIM and using the Data, that could happen so i would suggest blocking your Phone real fast, worry about the iPhone 4 after

Thanks Pal.

I called o2 and they've blocked the phone's IMEI number and also my sim card. Now I guess the remote wipe wont woke now, so a little worried about my data... I guess I better start changing my passwords for everything!!

 

[AdamA9]

Can I ask why you immedietly wiped it and didn't just lock it and then track it?

Because the phone was turned off so I couldn't track it. I called it and tried to track it with the find my iPhone, but location wasn't detectible, and I didn't want to take the chance of waiting to see if they turn it on again.

Was that the wrong thing to do then?

 

[IrishVixen]

Because the phone was turned off so I couldn't track it. I called it and tried to track it with the find my iPhone, but location wasn't detectible, and I didn't want to take the chance of waiting to see if they turn it on again.

Was that the wrong thing to do then?

Not necessarily wrong, just depends on what the priority is--preserving the data from prying eyes or trying to get the phone back. I'd probably have chosen to remote lock if there wasn't already a password set, then message/alarm tone while attempting to track it for a bit before I remote wiped it. But mine not only already has the password set, it has a password vault app on there, so no one is going to easily walk off with any useful info from it. It buys me time to try and retrieve the phone first before the ultimate solution of a wipe. Of course, as you found, MobileMe still needs the phone to be on for any of this to be of use!

Bummer all the way around, no doubt.

 

[AdamA9]

Not necessarily wrong, just depends on what the priority is--preserving the data from prying eyes or trying to get the phone back. I'd probably have chosen to remote lock if there wasn't already a password set, then message/alarm tone while attempting to track it for a bit before I remote wiped it. But mine not only already has the password set, it has a password vault app on there, so no one is going to easily walk off with any useful info from it. It buys me time to try and retrieve the phone first before the ultimate solution of a wipe. Of course, as you found, MobileMe still needs the phone to be on for any of this to be of use!

Bummer all the way around, no doubt.

Thanks - priority was rendering the phone unusable as quick as possible to prevent anyone accessing the data on it.

So angry, moreso because I'm away from Friday and thus will not have a phone with me

 

[iMacDragon]

Did it have a password set? if so, then it's a lot more difficult to get at anything on phone, as you can't sync/backup etc without entering it first.

 

[AdamA9]

Did it have a password set? if so, then it's a lot more difficult to get at anything on phone, as you can't sync/backup etc without entering it first.

Yeah I had a password on it.

My steps were:

10:15pm - I realised the phone was lost and reported it to security
10:30pm - Entered MobileMe online at the hotel and locked the phone then wiped
10:45pm - Called o2 and blocked the sim and EMEI on the phone

 

[iMacDragon]

Yeah I had a password on it.

My steps were:

10:15pm - I realised the phone was lost and reported it to security
10:30pm - Entered MobileMe online at the hotel and locked the phone then wiped
10:45pm - Called o2 and blocked the sim and EMEI on the phone

Your data should be /reasonably/ safe then, especially if you enabled auto wipe after 10 wrong tries, I don't believe there's any way to access data on phone without getting through the password for now. The only way it's likely to be accessible for now would be when the new bootrom jailbreak comes out, this might allow a possible way in bypassing the OS security. But in most likelihood, this isn't going to be a worry if it was just opportunistic theft.