Apple iCloud – Set’s a worrying example

Well so much for Cloud security if you’re an Apple iCloud user if recent headlines are anything to go by.

‘Off-the-shelf forensics tool slurps iPhone data via iCloud’

And

‘Beware of iCloud! Snooping software lets police read everything on your iPhone in real-time without you ever knowing’.

In summary you no longer have to have your mobile phone ceased by the Police for them to access data on it. If the Police can do it then you can bet that the hacker community will have their own ways.

What this means for users is ANYONE with your Apple ID and Password can monitor ALL your phone activities if you are backing it up to iCloud. This goes beyond your phone as well because iCloud of course can back up more than your phone.

If you think your Apple ID is secure then please don’t disillusion yourself. Apples ID’s have been compromised just like many other system have and will continue to be. Why do you think Apple has been prompting users for added security? ‘Apple prompting some users for extra App Store security details’

So you want to play safe, as one customer requested. So duly obliging I proceeded to disable iCloud for him. With some interesting and worrying insights into how Apple is using some very dubious dialogue boxes to challenge users from breaking the commitment.

Don’t believe me? Then Try and disable it! Go into your iDevice (iPhone or iPad) and settings> iCLoud.

Switch it ALL off. Some nice prop’s for reminders for example give you a friendly option to keep or delete them on your device. So far so good…..

As I got down the list things got a little trickier. Almost like Big Brother was watching and whilst allowed me to switch off some frivolities like bookmarks and reminders, when it came to the meat and veg of a user’s digital collateral Documents, Pictures etc. the stakes were raised.

· Data – Thread of deletion off device.

· Photo – Thread of deletion off device.

See image below for reality check. No guidance as to what this actually means. But for any non-techie it would be enough to halt them from further extracting themselves from iCloud.

Further investigation into what this ‘threat’ of deletion meant in real terms revealed that it does not delete data originating on the device as far as I can work out.

Apple simply cannot resist its controlling ways, all Apple needed to do was use a cordial prompt as it did with the Bookmarks and Reminders, users would have not had the frighteners put up them, and everyone would have parted friends. Instead users are placed in a high degree of uncertainty, stressed over the integrity of their data if they execute a reasonable request.

Thank you for being so friendly and welcoming Apple, NOT!