How the 2014 Attack Occurred

After the news broke about the theft of the celebrities’ photos, Apple said that the incident was “a targeted attack on user names, passwords, and security questions.” While the exact details of the incident are unknown, many believe that it was due to an iCloud vulnerability. According to this theory, a security flaw in the Find My iPhone service allowed hackers to repeatedly guess a user’s log-in information. There were no consequences for trying numerous attempts, and the hackers were not locked out after a number of tries. As a result, the hackers were able to break into their victims’ accounts by flooding the service with log-in attempts. Apple appears to have solved this problem. However, it claimed that the hackers did not exploit any specific iCloud vulnerabilities. Instead, the company said that phishing or brute force attacks were responsible for the breach.

The Methods Used by the Hackers

The iCloud hackers used a variety of common techniques to gain access to their victims’ private information. These include social engineering, phishing, and brute force. Brute force attacks involve hammering the system. Hackers first research their target. Specifically, they are looking for the answers to common security questions like “What was the name of your first boyfriend/girlfriend?” or “What is your mother’s maiden name?” Once they have enough information, they use an unlimited number of attempts in order to access the system by trying every possible answer. They begin with the most likely options, and these options are supplied by their background research. Hackers who employ phishing methods attempt to trick their targets into giving away their account information. They typically send out personalized emails claiming that the recipient has won a prize or is eligible for an award. These emails instruct the target to call the hacker, who is posing as a legitimate organization. The unwitting victim will contact the hacker in order to claim their reward. The criminal will ask for their personal information, and will then politely end the conversation. Using this information, they will break into their target’s accounts. Phishing can also involve hiding malware inside a file that is sent to the target. The malware infects the computer when the recipient opens the file to learn about their winnings. Social engineering is another hacking technique. This term describes a process of cyber intrusion that relies on a human, rather than a technical, exchange in order to complete a theft. The hacker will physically access the target’s computer by posing as the representative of a reputable organization, like the target’s IT company. Another method involves talking to the target at a bar or public place, and slowly drawing personal information from them throughout the conversation.

How to Protect Your iCloud Account

Following the recent iCloud breach, Apple released a patch that addressed the issue of security. The service now sends notification emails to users when their iCloud accounts are accessed or changed. It also has a two-factor password authentication system that texts users a randomized access code. These changes add an extra layer of security to iOS and iCloud accounts. However, they are no substitute for password security. Users should update their passwords frequently, and should refrain from reusing them. Passwords should be fairly complex. They should include both uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as symbols. Users should also avoid using obvious passwords like their birthday or their spouse’s name. Remembering several passwords at once can be difficult. Some IT experts recommend using mnemonics or writing them down. Others suggest using a password manager program. The use of a password manager is widely considered to be the best way to keep passwords safe. This tool will randomly generate passwords and will store them in a protected vault. Users only need to keep track of one password in order to protect all of their accounts.

Conclusion

In spite of the recent security breach, people should still continue to use their iCloud accounts. However, they should take the proper precautions. These include both the basics of password security and an awareness of hackers’ methods. For more information about cyber security, please contact us.

Features

In March 2014, Microsoft debuted its Office apps on the iPad. Users are able to view documents as well as copy and paste between them. They can also share documents, and present their work using PowerPoint. This first version of Office for the iPad did have some restrictions. In order to create new documents or edit old ones, users needed to pay for an Office 365 subscription. Users also needed an Office 365 subscription for saving documents to OneDrive or SharePoint. The newest versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint do not have these restrictions. Users can freely create and edit their documents, though they still need a Microsoft account. Microsoft created a couple of new views that make navigating and editing documents on the iPhone much easier. Within Word, the “Reflow” view temporarily resizes documents to fit on the phone’s screen. This eliminates the need for panning and scanning through a document. Within Excel, The “Full Screen” view accomplishes this task. These universal apps work on all iPhone and iPod Touch devices running iOS 7.1 or a later version. Microsoft intends to develop universal versions of Office for both Android and Windows phones as well, although the release dates for these versions have not been revealed. The company’s announcement about new mobile versions of Office follows the creation of an exciting partnership between Microsoft and Dropbox. The new iPhone, iPad, and Android versions of the Office apps allows users to open, edit, and save their documents from Dropbox as well as Microsoft’s OneDrive.

Premium Components for Office 365 Users

Only Office 365 users will have the ability to edit documents that are stored on Dropbox for Business and OneDrive for Business. They will also have 1 terabyte of storage on OneDrive. Microsoft has said that in the near future it will provide Office 365 users with unlimited online storage. Office 365 users will have access to PowerPoint presenter mode and Excel pivot tables, as well as unrestricted use of the Track Changes feature. They will also be able to use certain chart customization options for color and design.

Refunds for Office 365 Users

Microsoft is offering pro-rated refunds to Office 365 users that subscribed just to get the ability to edit Office documents on their iPads. The refunds are only available to those who purchased an Office 365 Personal or Office 365 Home subscription on or after March 27, 2014. This was the day that Office for iPad was first released. The account must have been activated before November 6, 2014. Eligible Office 365 users must cancel their subscriptions and request their refunds by January 31, 2015. Users that purchased their subscriptions from Microsoft or a reseller should contact a Microsoft Accounts and Billings representative. Those who purchased their subscriptions through Apple should contact iTunes store support.