My Stolen iPhone Horror Story

[m3coolpix]

After reading this, the MobileMe looks better and better with the remote wipe and the tracking.

You were probably typing that while I was typing, so post #49 can help protect yourself also.

If you are thinking of the MobileMe service, it doesn't have to be bought from Apple at the retail prices. It is a product that a lot of online places sell at a discount. We got the Family pack from Amazon for $104 (5 accounts). They had the single pack down at $48 a few days ago, but now it's at $68.

 

[labman]

You can find some great deal on Ebay too

just search MobileMe and watch the user ratings same thing with Apple Care just a fyi. I know it's too late but set up the pass code and enable 10 tries before it erases. yes there might be some ways around it but it will at least keep allot of thief's from getting your bank and personal info.

 

[Primejimbo]

just search MobileMe and watch the user ratings same thing with Apple Care just a fyi. I know it's too late but set up the pass code and enable 10 tries before it erases. yes there might be some ways around it but it will at least keep allot of thief's from getting your bank and personal info.

I have that now but you have this issue:

http://www.zdziarski.com/papers/passcode.html

It's a touch old and I am not sure if it's still needed given redsn0w but it could be done. I have an old iPhone 3G at my apt, I guess I should try this all out when I got some spare time.

Heck, depending on users version of firmware certain info can be gathered using the "Emergency Call" flaw:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210201068

I found MobileMe on Amazon (family) for 99.99, in a month or so I'll be getting it.

 

[saldawop]

Sorry , bad luck for having your phone stoilen but I have to admit I did LOL at

my profile picture was set to a picture of a dudes dangly ballsack, and why my status said "i love c**k." I thought, man, my jerk friends really crossed the line this time.

 

[m3coolpix]

just search MobileMe and watch the user ratings same thing with Apple Care just a fyi. I know it's too late but set up the pass code and enable 10 tries before it erases. yes there might be some ways around it but it will at least keep allot of thief's from getting your bank and personal info.

Remember that MobileMe encompasses A LOT of other services (some suck, some don't). Those other services (iDisk for example) are what's getting the ratings....

Users aren't rating just the Remote Wipe and Find My iPhone feature, as it's kind of hidden, and most likely used twice for the 'find my iPhone' (when you first get the account, and then when you lose the iPhone), and then only once for the 'Remote Wipe (when it's lost). I doubt anyone has actually tried the Remote Wipe (Macworld did, Google it).

Many of the MobileMe services/add-ons are done much better by other programs on the App Store. Consider MobileMe as a last resort security purchase (that happens to have a true PUSH email address).

If the Remote Wipe and Find my iPhone services were available separately (which I doubt they ever will be, considering the sensitive nature of the whole process), then it'd be a much different consideration (easier).

A family pack is 5 accounts, or ~$35/iPhone for our little world.

I'll bet that the OP lost that much in time alone, just explaining.....

Apologize for ranting/typing about this, but, um, you see what happens when the stuff hits the fan as you lose an iPhone.

 

[sseelman]

Yes. I bagged the idea of getting MobileMe and just did the passcode lock after an hour - with wipe. It will be enough to deal with the average thief and not cost me a dime more. I also have zero interest in anything else about MobileMe.

Actually, the biggest issue really was that the remote wipe feature required a cellular signal. What if the thief disables the phone piece (e.g. sim card, or some setting) and still uses wi-fi to get into all my apps? The remote wipe seems to be useless in this circumstance.

The passcode lock is a much more simple way to handle. PITA? Worth it - to me.

Another way to possibly prevent this story from happening is to set up a Passcode Lock PIN, and then enable the Wipe feature. You don't necessarily have to have the MobileMe account to do a wipe on the iPhone.

Yeah, I know it's a PITA to enter the code, but you can choose the frequency of inactivity before the iPhone requires it.

Just sync the iPhone often to have a good backup, and then it's just a matter of going to get a new iPhone, and the time required to restore it to get back to normal if it ever gets lost/stolen.

Little if no time required for repairing your credibility.

Everyone should really think of the iPhone as being a handheld computer from a security standpoint, that just happens to have a phone capability. I know the <25 crowd probably didn't make it past the first sentence or two.....

 

[frunze]

Dude I am so sorry it happened to you - and I completely understand because my facebook profile is also not well attended by me, I am also connected to people I work with due to job requirements, and I would have also totally forgotten to change my facebook password simply because it wouldn't be top of mind given the gravity of having lost the iPhone, having to change all the other passwords, and the general crappy feeling about it. I shudder to think that it could be me, very easily, and I appreciate you sharing your story. I will definitely protect my iPhone now in a hundred of different ways.

The passcode with wipe - would you be able to restore it if it wiped out and then you found it or it was returned to you? I am only asking because my husband tried to unlock my phone when I was asleep and couldn't break my code, what if he entered it 10 times and the phone got wiped clean??

 

[Ericatomars]

A lesson learned

That really sucks that your phone was stolen but next time don't assume someone to do the right thing! I work for the Chicago Police Dept. Trust me, don't assume... This was a tough but well needed lesson to you and everyone else that has all kinds of personal data on their phones. I bet if your phone was stolen today by midnight you'll have your passwords changed. Once again it sucks that it happened but these things to happen and happen frequently for EVERYONE NEEDS TO BECAREFUL

 

[firewood]

That doesn't really explain how having a passcode on your iPhone still allows people to have access to your information.

Basic physics. If someone has physical access to a device without encryption or a physical self destruct, the data isn't protected. And there are probably a lot easier ways to get at all the data than unsoldering all the memory chips, decapping them, and nano-probing the transistors.

 

[TLewis]

If someone has physical access to a device without encryption or a physical self destruct, the data isn't protected. And there are probably a lot easier ways to get at all the data than unsoldering all the memory chips, decapping them, and nano-probing the transistors.

lol, if someone is going to do all that to your iPhone, you have much bigger problems than a stolen iPhone ....

 

[curly14]

Needless to say am sure this "guy" is no longer a friend ....

And all time low in tea baggin

Quote:
my profile picture was set to a picture of a dudes dangly ballsack, and why my status said "i love c**k." I thought, man, my jerk friends really crossed the line this time.

 

[m3coolpix]

The passcode with wipe - would you be able to restore it if it wiped out and then you found it or it was returned to you? I am only asking because my husband tried to unlock my phone when I was asleep and couldn't break my code, what if he entered it 10 times and the phone got wiped clean??

Yes. Doesn't matter if it was wiped via the incorrect code, or the Remote Wipe feature. It can be restored from backup.

Yes. I bagged the idea of getting MobileMe and just did the passcode lock after an hour - with wipe. It will be enough to deal with the average thief and not cost me a dime more. I also have zero interest in anything else about MobileMe.

Actually, the biggest issue really was that the remote wipe feature required a cellular signal. What if the thief disables the phone piece (e.g. sim card, or some setting) and still uses wi-fi to get into all my apps? The remote wipe seems to be useless in this circumstance.

The passcode lock is a much more simple way to handle. PITA? Worth it - to me.

This only shows that an understanding is needed of the MobileMe Remote Wipe feature. It will work on an iPhone and iPod Touch (which doesn't have a cellular connection).

Read the MacWorld article, and make your own conclusion. The article is less than 3 weeks old, and is quite descriptive of the advantages/disadvantages, or in other words, there was no guessing on how it worked, or the results. Synopsis: If a casual thief, or someone who simply finds the iPhone, Remote Wipe is quite an effective defense tool. To someone who is specifically targeting you, whether for stealing personal/business data (or IOW, a pro), Remote Wipe 'might' not be as effective, if they happen to know all the right things to do.

MacWorld: Inside iPhone 3.0's Remote Wipe feature