iOS 7 Allows Siri to Disable Find My iPhone via Airplane Mode in Security/Convenience Trade-Off

[terraphantm]

I believe tissue isn't dead the moment it is severed from the body.

There won't be a pulse though. And the temperature would drop off pretty quickly

 

[spazzcat]

I had to frustratingly turn CC off on the lock screen for this reason. A pass code should be required for some tasks.

Edit: A code (if enabled) should be required to turn the phone off too.

Should a code be required for the battery to die too? Your not going to stop someone if they want to steal your phone...

 

[cclloyd]

I hope that the new version of iCaughtU Pro still allows for disabling airplay mode when locked.

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More nothing stories just to increase page views. If this is such a security flaw why is it just coming up now when devs have had iOS for months?

We really REALLY... didn't care.

 

[JAT]

Another major security flaw:
If a thief kills you and steals your phone, it will be some time before anyone notices/cares about the phone. Apple should hire people to follow all their customers around just in case.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I've already stolen 6 phones using this!

I'll buy one from you. Cheap.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

For best security, disable the ability to do *ANYTHING* when locked.

To do this, go in to Settings, and go to:
Notification Center -> disable both options in "Access On Lock Screen" at top.
Control Center -> disable "Access on Lock Screen"
General -> Passcode Lock -> disable every item under "Allow Access when Locked".

For better security, turn off "Simple Passcode". This will disable the four-digit PIN-style passcode, and allow you to use an arbitrary-length passcode consisting of any character you can type on the on-screen keyboard. And make sure you have it set to lock immediately.

 

[theBB]

Apple should necessitate a passcode to turn on airplane mode and to turn off the phone. Will be easier for users to swallow once the fingerprint sensor becomes more ubiquitous but this is really the only way we can fully prevent thieves from disabling find my iphone quickly.

It would not fully prevent anything. You can just wrap a phone in aluminum foil to disable its cellular connection. Passcode to enter airplane mode or turn off the phone would not really improve security. It would just be annoying.

 

[charlituna]

Just swipe up for control centre, switch on air-plane mode. I disabled it on the lock screen for this very reason.

while i think it is a bit of FUD to call this a security flaw (since you can power off the phone to the same effect) I do agree with the general idea that perhaps Apple should tweak things so if you turn off Control Center from the lock screen said functions are also turned off for Siri.

 

[osaga]

Slightly off topic, but you know what reeeaaaaally bothers me about spotlight search? If you search for something you typed in an old text message, like from say a year ago, spotlight search will find it, but when you click on the search result, it delivers you to the latest text in your conversation, not the message you searched for. You have to flip through "load previous messages" for an hour to get to actually it, and that's assuming you don't miss it. Why hasn't that been fixed?

 

[charlituna]

With new iOS7 Siri has gone a bit more intelligent.

Whats next?!

Siri becomes Dr. Evil and conquers the world!

Why not, she's already Skynet

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Connecting to WiFi would broadcast the iPhone location to Find my iPhone servers, it doesn't require a cellular connection to work.

but if you take it to an area where it hasn't ever connected to the wifi it won't be broadcasting. and it's very likely that any decent thief will do just that. or even better to an area with no wifi.

 

[theheadguy]

You can remove the SIM card to achieve the same effect and still be able to keep the phone on, connect it to a computer and "try to hack into it", so your point is moot.

You're clueless of my point as you just furthered it.

 

[joejoejoe]

It would not fully prevent anything. You can just wrap a phone in aluminum foil to disable its cellular connection. Passcode to enter airplane mode or turn off the phone would not really improve security. It would just be annoying.

I haven't really seen iPhone thieves carry around aluminum foil.

May be annoying but implementing touch id would solve that.

I didn't say it would fully prevent thieves from disabling internet access, but would prevent. Them from doing so quickly.

Yesterday, a kid stole my friends phone on the bus, grabbed it out of her hand and ran off. She tried findmyiphone soon after and the kid had turned the phone off, eliminating her ability to find it. If there was a pass code necessary to turn off the device or switch on airplane mode, don't you think it would have bought her more time before the phone went offline?

It's not a full proof method, as there doesn't really seem to be a full proof solution out there, but would certainly give a little more cushion towards having time to locate your phone. The way it is now, ppl can shut off the phone or airplane mode it immediately after theft, making findmyiphone kind of useless when it comes to finding a stolen device.

 

[peejack]

This website is getting ridiculous and petty.

 

[Gymgenius]

Steve would never have allowed this

 

[jb2017]

I don't think this was brought up on previous posts. But if a thief wants to steal your iphone and turn on Airplane mode via Siri on the lockscreen, he still can't do anything with the phone. iOS 7 added a new feature that when the thief goes to restore your iPhone (even if in Airplane mode), he needs to have your 4 digit pin to turn off Find My iPhone for him to restore the iPhone and make it his own. In the end, the thief gets nothing except for a phone that is locked.

So this story should be taken off because it's just the most ridiculous story that will be used to make something that is not.

 

[rikscha]

Ok, so I disabled Control Center use on the Lock Screen and I disabled Siri use when the phone is locked. Problem solved.

And also remove the power button, that makes it ultra safe. oh and do you have some glue at hand? Because you know, your SIM card..

 

[kdarling]

Cutting off fingers is so much easier

Apparently not, since it apparently only works on living tissue.

Did Apple ever claim that themselves?

I believe tissue isn't dead the moment it is severed from the body.

RF sensors will normally work with a severed finger for about 15 minutes.

After that, infusing the finger with various liquids could make it work as well.

There won't be a pulse though. And the temperature would drop off pretty quickly

AuthenTec's patents and papers indicate that they don't trust checking temperature or pulse, because when a finger is cold, neither parameter is reliable. Plus both can be spoofed, especially temperature.

Instead, they have patents on using other electrical tests, such as checking the inductive value of the object. Unknown if those are in place here.

My question is: why bother cutting off a finger, when... if you have that much access and control to a person... you could just use their finger to unlock it, and then keep it awake while you play around. Or give them a choice of losing a finger or giving you the passcode. It's not like there's any real purchase power with it yet.

 

[Iambrentboi]

Siri will allow you to compose a message and dial any number even when your phone is locked. In addition, Siri can give out personal info about the owner's iPhone (provided that those info are saved in the owner's contact entry).

 

[Nimrad]

Thief: Siri, enable Airplane Mode.

Siri: Yes, of course. As soon as I identify your valid fingerprint, Sir.

Thief: Damn you, Siri! Damn you!

Siri: (quietly reporting the location of thief to authorities and stolen iPhone registry)

Thief just turns off the phone.

 

[TheKrs1]

Ok, so would it be better if the story read "Siri can activate Airplane Mode, which in turn disables Find My iPhone?

Maybe Apple can implement an option, where if you have your Passcode enabled you need it to turn the phone off.

I know it's hard to find suitable solutions, but every so-called negative article about Apple does not have to come with an influx of people who want to defend Apple's EVERY move/slight.

Be objective, if it were up to you people MMS, Control Center, changing backgrounds, multitasking, etc. would not be in iOS.

I think it would be better if the story read "Siri can activiate Airplane Mode, which in turn hinders the functionality of Find My iPhone". Why? There are two reasons.
1. Find my iPhone is not disabled, the settings are all still in place and it is still working. It just doesn't have any radios to communicate.
2. Now that Activation Lock is a feature of Find my iPhone, this headline makes it sound like theives can get around it by turning on airplan mode... which is incorrect.

As I said elsewhere, I do have some gripes with Apple and iOS 7. I'm just stating that this negative article deserves some transparency and fact checking.

 

[theBB]

Yesterday, a kid stole my friends phone on the bus, grabbed it out of her hand and ran off. She tried findmyiphone soon after and the kid had turned the phone off, eliminating her ability to find it. If there was a pass code necessary to turn off the device or switch on airplane mode, don't you think it would have bought her more time before the phone went offline?

Bought her more time for what? To gather a posse and bust him at his crib?

I don't think it matters whether it takes 30 seconds or 10 minutes to disable the location updates in the grand scheme of things. As I've said before, there are cheap non-software methods to disconnect a phone from the outside world, so that phone will most likely be offline pretty soon one way or another. The cops do not have much time and resources to track down an actively updating phone beyond a few cases here and there anyways. The idea is to make them all unusable and unsellable, so that thieves learn not to bother stealing iPhones.

 

[JAT]

My question is: why bother cutting off a finger, when... if you have that much access and control to a person... you could just use their finger to unlock it, and then keep it awake while you play around. Or give them a choice of losing a finger or giving you the passcode. It's not like there's any real purchase power with it yet.

Yeah, really. Thief can just knock someone out long enough to use the fingerprint and finish whatever they want to do with the phone.

 

[thenicewilly]

Why not for my Mac?

Hello, "Losing your MacBook feels lousy. Thankfully, Find My MacBook can help you get it back. But if it looks like that’s not going to happen, new security features in OS X Mavericks make it harder for anyone who’s not you to use or sell your device. Now turning off Find My MacBook or erasing your device requires your Apple ID and password. Find My MacBook can also continue to display a custom message, even after your device is erased. And your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can reactivate it. Which means your MacBook is still your MacBook. No matter where it is." Yes all of this will seem unreal and futuristic! I do not think so. There are many programs allowing you to find your stolen treasure: iCloud and Find my Mac or a very good program UndercoverHq. How would you locate your Mac if someone has removed the original hard disk or SSD from it and in just 15 minutes has replaced the internal memory? Without a software or a program to track down your Mac, the thief is safe and you could not have your Mac back and arrest the thief!!!! Why does not Apple provide with its OSX Mavericks the same protection system you have with the iPhone, namely after a complete hard recovery, you must enter the Apple ID and owner password to activate the stolen MacBook? This option would not only be essential but it would represent an added value for not buying a PC! I look forward to read everyone's reaction to my proposal ... Thank you very much!

 

[roadbloc]

I don't think this is a security flaw.

 

[Casiotone]

You're clueless of my point as you just furthered it.

Yeah just call me clueless instead of trying to explain your point.