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iPad Lost iPad 4 (iOS 7): How safe are my data?

Max(IT)

Max(IT)

Suspended
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
8,551
1,662
Italy
very sad day, last night I was very tired and I forgot my iPad (WiFI only, with aeromode turned ON) on the plane.
I called the lost&found service, but so far no news about it, and I don't have any hope (too much dishonest people out there).
They told me to try again on Monday when office will open and the new objects will be registered.

BTW I'm a little worried about my data inside the iPad. I activated the lost mode in Find My Phone, but since the iPad is wifi only, it won't work until a free wifi network will be joined (and the aero mode was ON, so they have to turn it on first).
Having the iOS 7 installed, the iPad is protected with a 4 digit code. How safe are my data from the casual thief that found it and decided not to give it at lost&found ?
After how many attempts the iPad will block itself ?

Thank you in advance for any advice.
 
My iphone 5s has a setting where it will wipe all data on itself after 10 wrong passcode attempts. But you have to enable it.
 
Im not 100% sure but your data is super safe if you had a password with ios7. IOS7 wont let someone reformat the ipad without your itunes password. The only way for someone to get the data is to unsolder the ssd inside and put it in another ipad.
 
macfacts said:
Im not 100% sure but your data is super safe if you had a password with ios7. IOS7 wont let someone reformat the ipad without your itunes password. The only way for someone to get the data is to unsolder the ssd inside and put it in another ipad.
Click to expand...

this is what I knew: they need my Apple ID also to restore the iPad (anyway if they restore it, all data will be wiped out).

I'd like to know if there is any another methods to unlock it.
Is it basically unusable for everyone ?
 
Unless OP is carrying launch codes in the ipad I doubt anyone wants the data...they just want a free ipad to use.

But aren't these things now useless if found...wonder why people dont just turn them in.
 
Hope they won't find your 4 digits code. If they obtain that... Your data becomes theirs.
 
Still no news about my iPad checking Find my Phone ... surely it hasn't been activated under Wifi network since I've lost it.

No news from the Airline also, and this is not good news at all sadly :(
Lost&Found doesn't work on Saturday, so I'm still waiting for a miracle ....
 
With iOS 7, the thief pretty much has an expensive paperweight on his hands, right? Without knowing the device passcode, or his Apple ID login, the device can't be used, correct?
 
NuggetSauce said:
With iOS 7, the thief pretty much has an expensive paperweight on his hands, right? Without knowing the device passcode, or his Apple ID login, the device can't be used, correct?
Click to expand...

This is what I really hope ....


Actually I still hope for an honest guy that found it and passed it to Lost&Found ....
 
iOS 7 doesn't magically turn everything on to ensure the data is wiped out if there were unauthorized attempts. They're all optional, not mandatory.

If you enabled Find My iPhone, passcode that wipes after 10 incorrect attempts, and so on, you should be okay.

However, if you turned one of them off, then you should proceed thinking it may have been accessed and start changing your passwords and so on.

Remember iCloud accounts can also be brute-forced via other ways such as iCloud.com and so on, so it is not restricted to your iPad only. That's why Apple recently started adding two-way authentication for it.
 
MikhailT said:
iOS 7 doesn't magically turn everything on to ensure the data is wiped out if there were unauthorized attempts. They're all optional, not mandatory.

If you enabled Find My iPhone, passcode that wipes after 10 incorrect attempts, and so on, you should be okay.

However, if you turned one of them off, then you should proceed thinking it may have been accessed and start changing your passwords and so on.

Remember iCloud accounts can also be brute-forced via other ways such as iCloud.com and so on, so it is not restricted to your iPad only. That's why Apple recently started adding two-way authentication for it.
Click to expand...

Find My iPhone was enabled, the 10 try wipeout not.
Are you saying there is not any block after a number of failed attempts ?

BTW I had the remote wipeout activated as soon as I realized the ipad was lost, so if someone was able to find out the exact combination in 9999 available my ipad will wipes every content as soon as he connects it to a wifi network, am I correct ?
He needs my apple ID password to disable Find My iPhone, right ?
 
That stinks. I hope an honest person finds it and you get it back.

Max(IT) said:
Find My iPhone was enabled, the 10 try wipeout not.
Are you saying there is not any block after a number of failed attempts ?
Click to expand...

Your iPad is disabled automatically after a certain amount of failed attempts. See here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1212

The erase feature is something you have to set, but not the disable feature.
 
luckylisp said:
That stinks. I hope an honest person finds it and you get it back.



Your iPad is disabled automatically after a certain amount of failed attempts. See here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1212

The erase feature is something you have to set, but not the disable feature.
Click to expand...

thank you .... it would be interesting to know if Im going to receive a mail when this happens (like when someone access my Apple ID).
 
Max(IT) said:
thank you .... it would be interesting to know if Im going to receive a mail when this happens (like when someone access my Apple ID).
Click to expand...


No, you won't receive an e-mail for failed passcode attempts.

Your data is relatively safe, unless you do not have the "wipe after 10 attempts" enabled AND the iPad happens to be in the hands of someone who really, really, REALLY wants something specific from your device, or otherwise has a serious motive to get at that data. Software does exist that will make multiple attempts at breaking the passcode, so the tedium of guessing is handed off to a computer. But again, it's usually the domain of people who have a vested interest in getting that info.

The likely (if unfortunate) scenarios though, are:

1. It's sitting in a trash can somewhere headed for a landfill, because a careless airline employee couldn't be bothered to deal with a lost item, or even check what he/she was throwing away. Having a job like cleaning out airplanes for a living will do that to you over time.

2. It's sitting, WiFi off, in a lost and found somewhere and the staff are too dimwitted or disinterested to bother actually looking when people inquire. Having a job like sitting around in a room full of other people's lost stuff that never gets recovered will do that to you over time.

3. Someone stole it, and if they were unable to reset it due to iOS 7 device lock, either sold it to a clueless pawn shop or eBayed it for parts.

In any case, while harvesting stolen smartphone/tablet data it might be useful to someone with an IQ and wants greater financial gain with a little patience, the reality is that most thieves don't think this far ahead, and just want to make a quick buck off the physical hardware. So, whether the iPad is sitting frustratingly in a room or bin somewhere waiting to be dissevered, OR got stolen, it's unlikely the data is at risk.

Sorry for your loss. As someone who had an iPhone stolen once, I know it's not fun.
 
Last edited:
Found it !

Today I received a mail from the Airline: they found my iPad !
After a short trip to the airport, I'm now writing from it.
It was switched off, and it wasn't done by lost&found personnel, so I think someone found it, tried to activate it and unable to find the right code passed it to lost&found department.
I was also able to cancel the erase from remote option by disconnecting the iPad from Find My iPhone (and reconnect it later).
 
(Mental note to self)
This is a good reminder to always set a passcode on your idevice, as it will deter most all sticky handed opportunist. I'm pretty sure if you didn't have that passcode code on it you wouldn't have it right now. Good for you OP, haapy for ya.
 
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