iOS security features (preventing from being used after stolen)

[tylerwatt12]

What kind of security features does iOS have to prevent a thief from re-selling my phone.
I used to work in MDM, I feel like I've only got half the picture of how this works.
If you reset the phone and there's no sim card inside, does it require to activate?
What if it's unlocked?
Can it be locked to an account so it turns into a brick after it's stolen?
At work we used these 'blank sims' to bypass the SIM activation.
I would like to know about the security features so I can protect myself better if something bad does happen.

 

[deeddawg]

Read up on iOS 7 Activation Lock. In short if you have FindMyIphone enabled anyone who tried to wipe/restore the phone must have you AppleID and password else it's an inactivatable brick.

As for actually finding your phone via that feature, it's easily disabled by turning the phone off or removing the SIM, however activation lock is still going to limit the resale.

Remember that TouchId isn't a security feature as much as its a convenience feature. It makes using a passcode lock far more palatable. It hopefully will lead to wider adoption of passcodes, thus enhancing security across the population. It still doesn't make an individual phone any more secure in and of itself.

Edit: more info at https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/1...fficials-concerned-over-mobile-device-thefts/