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iPhone security is a joke

A

andymac2210

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2011
228
0
Someone finds your lost iPhone - restore - remove sim, phone is gone forever.

Sure you can have a block put on it, but that doesn't get your phone back and everyone loses.
Added to which they can still sell it abroad.

You shouldn't be able to reset a phone without a password (perhaps a key that's stored with apple so it can be recovered with your apple ID should you forget it).
There should be a mechanical lock on the sim slot to stop someone who doesn't have the software password from popping the sim out OR turning the phone off.
Would NOT be hard to make a simple locking sim slot
Sure, they could dismantle the phone to remove it, but they'd risk damaging it, and most muggers and thieves probably don't have those skills anyway.


I think the passcode is designed only to protect the information on the phone itself should it be lost, which is great.
But Apple should really be thinking about all round phone security that would allow the phone to stay on unless you have a password to A. Turn it off B. remove the SIM card C. perform a restore.


Those things alone would make iPhones almost pointless to steal.
 
You know what's an even bigger joke? The passcode. On the iPhone 4 and older devices, it protects nothing at all. With physical access to a device, I can download all of your iDevice's contents in a matter of minutes. Pretty silly actually.
 
That's like every cellphone or tech device out there.
Once you lose it you're done.
Apple is not in the business of finding your lost or stolen items nor they care since you'll just buy another one.
Locking sim slot and other things posted above are silly.
 
Intell said:
You know what's an even bigger joke? The passcode. On the iPhone 4 and older devices, it protects nothing at all. With physical access to a device, I can download all of your iDevice's contents in a matter of minutes. Pretty silly actually.
Click to expand...

Does that mean the 4S and iPad 2 are different, in this regard?

Rcflex said:
Doesn't the Iphone 4S have a find my phone feature? and an erase my data feature if you loose your phone... ;)
Click to expand...

All >4.3 iDevices have that. Whether it works is a different story.
 
I can see why you might think that, but such implementations would inevitably lead to a terrible customer experience.

It's bad enough that customers who forget their passcode lose all their data; can you imagine having to tell them that they can't use their $600 phone too?

There are a large number of customers who don't live near an Apple Store to have their passcode retrieved, and many can't remember their Apple IDs either. Plus, many people never even sync their phone (even fewer sync it regularly).

Simply, it would be a logistical nightmare. Every Apple Store would have a line of angry customers who needed their passcode retrieved.

Remember one of Apple's philosophies: simpler is better. And that's why people love the iPhone.
 
Comeagain? said:
Does that mean the 4S and iPad 2 are different, in this regard?
Click to expand...

Yes, they currently lack a bootrom exploit. All that's needed is a SSH ram disk and a bit of terminal/command prompt know-how. Mostly just following steps and waiting for the tunnel to open.
 
Until the US mobile companies take their customers seriously instead of seeing stolen phones as "ooh new customer!".. it doesn't matter. Just saying!
 
I’m not happy with apples security either. From my perspective the security appears to be all about protecting apple instead of protecting the customers interest. The problem with the current security anti theft (if you can call it that) status of the iPhone, iPad, or iPod is it rewards the criminal. And let’s be honest, you don’t lose your iPhone, someone steals it. If you lost it the issue of security would not be irrelevant.

Your iPhone may be stolen because you are careless but the truth is clever thieves are stealing iPhones just because there is a reward in doing it. Mine was stolen in the five seconds I looked to the right. I had just set it down because I needed both hands and when I reached for it the phone was gone.
It was stolen again while I was working but I happened to have a photo of the phone one minute before it was stolen and I had the time I used find my iPhone so I could narrow down the suspects who stole it. My point is if the rebut answer is to be less careless the owner if the phone is no more at fault than if he was pick pocketed in a busy shopping center, or if a waitress at a restaurant stole his credit card information. (and that had become a problem too)

I think for what we spend on these luxury devices apple, and other manufacturers as well, could do more to make their product less rewarding to criminals and not blame me for being a victim. Can’t blame Apple for not chasing down the phone for me, but leaving the device so easily accessible to people with bad intentions should be corrected.
 
LordDixon said:
I think for what we spend on these luxury devices apple, and other manufacturers as well, could do more to make their product less rewarding to criminals and not blame me for being a victim. Can’t blame Apple for not chasing down the phone for me, but leaving the device so easily accessible to people with bad intentions should be corrected.
Click to expand...

like maybe make them not so much of a luxury item that people want to take? </sarcasm>
 
mrsir2009 said:
The same security standards apply to all smartphones.
Click to expand...

Apple has much tighter control over their devices than any other smartphone manufacturer does.

When you get an iPhone it is useless until you "Activate" it with Apple.

This is not the same as activating your service with your carrier. The activation process still applies even if you buy a "factory unlocked" device from Apple.

As part of the activation process, iTunes (or your device in iOS 5.0+) connects to Apple's servers and verifies several things before activating the device and allowing it work.

Without activation, the device can't even be used for the same functions as an iPod touch.

As part of the activation process, Apple could verify whether a device has been reported lost or stolen on the IMEI DB (formerly the CEIR).

If a device was on the database, iTunes could refuse to activate it (pointing the user to instructions on how to get the block removed - assuming the device is theirs).

AT&T and T-Mobile USA don't currently use the database, but they could do that in the future.
 
Last edited:
Saddest is that AT&T will not block the IMEI as they are getting ready to gain a new customer.:eek:
 
No security system is guaranteed if physical access is granted.

If physical access is gained there is remote find/wipe.

IPhone has top notch security.
 
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