Apple: FBI Could Force Us to Turn On iPhone Cameras, Microphones

All along, Apple’s biggest argument in their case against the FBI has been one of slippery slopes and escalation. The FBI wants Apple to create software that would allow them to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. Apple says that, once such a backdoor tool is created, they will not be able to guarantee that cybercriminals wouldn’t be able to use it to their advantage. In other words, in order to weaken the security of one iPhone, Apple would have to weaken the security of all iPhones.

Now, as …

Apple and the FBI Do Battle in Front of Congress

For weeks, Apple and the FBI have been arguing with one another over matters of privacy, cybersecurity, and national security. In February, the FBI issued a court order demanding that Apple help them break the iPhone’s security measures. Specifically, the government wants Apple to write software that would allow the FBI to get around iPhone encryption and other security safeguards.

Right now, the FBI wants to crack the iPhone that belonged to the terrorist behind the San Bernardino, California shooting that took place on December 2, 2015. In …

Apple Busts (And Then Fixes) Ethernet Ports

In an age where wireless internet is available just about everywhere, the wired Ethernet protocol may well be a technology of the past. If you were using an Ethernet port on a Mac computer recently, you might have even noticed that it stopped working entirely. Now, Apple has addressed the issue and released a rather complex fix for the problem on their support site.

According to Apple, the malfunctioning Ethernet ports were the result of a software update that included a flawed version of “Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data.” …

Apple Buys the Company That Built Mac Worm

Well, you could never say that Apple doesn’t take security threats seriously. Last year, a security firm called LegbaCore built one of the most serious threats yet to Mac computers. Typically, Macs have been known for having far, far fewer viruses and worms than PCs. For the most part, that lack of attacks has had more to do with market share than anything else. Hackers and cyber criminals can benefit more from creating viruses and malware for Windows PCs, simply because there are more Windows PCs out there than …

Protecting Your Privacy in an Increasingly Connected World

These days, everything and everyone is connected. At work, we communicate as much via email as we do face-to-face. At home, our primary means of interacting with friends and acquaintances is through social media. Add the ever-expanding “Internet of Things,” which connects everyday objects and appliances like refrigerators and even cars to the internet. Sure, all of this connectivity can be convenient at times, but how does someone maintain their privacy in a world where privacy is, largely, a thing of the past?

Luckily, there are steps you …

Newly Discovered OS X Security Flaw Could Give Hackers an Easy Way to Take...

If you by chance haven’t updated to Mac OS X 10.10 just yet (e.g., the Yosemite operating system update that first became available in October 2014), then you may want to hold off. According to a recent blog post by cyber security researcher Stefan Esser, Apple added a few features to the code of OS X 10.10 that have introduced some pretty serious vulnerabilities into the system. The issues, Esser noted, are present in both the current Yosemite release (OS X 10.10.4), as well as in the beta version …

Apple vs. Android: Who Wins in the Security Battle?

In a recent opinion piece for The Guardian, writer and technology professor John Naughton wrote about the ongoing war between Apple and Android for total dominance of the smartphone marketplace. The piece, titled “Security is the loser in the holy war between Android and Apple,” looked at how the battle between the iOS and Android operating systems has led to a marketplace where many smartphone owners are using phones that, in his words, “are riddled with security holes.”

While the title of Naughton’s article seems to suggest that the …

Apple Boots Apps for Violating Privacy Policies

The Mac App Store recently booted 256 apps for violating store-wide privacy policies. According to a report from Tech Republic, Apple pulled the apps for their use of a “Chinese advertising software development kit.” Said another way, these apps were built in such a way that they collected a considerable amount of customer data. That data collection conflicted with the rules of the Mac App Store and has now resulted in the deletion of the apps in question.

A Sneaky Data Theft Operation

The silver lining for customers is that …

Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit for “Wi-Fi Assist” Feature

Did Apple make a grievous error with the design of its most recent mobile device operating system, iOS 9? After launching iOS 9 in September, alongside the release of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, Apple quickly came under fire for a feature called “Wi-Fi assist.” The feature is designed to provide users with a more seamless web browsing experience. In situations where an iPhone or iPad is having difficulty connecting to a Wi-Fi network, Wi-Fi assist will automatically switch to mobile data usage.

The problem is, many users …

Apple Updates to Patch Security Flaws for iOS and OS X

Apple’s latest mobile and desktop operating systems, iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, launched in the second half of September. As of October 22nd, Apple has released updates for both operating systems to patch notable security flaws. The updates, iOS 9.1 and OS X 10.11.1, are essential for users who have updated their Apple devices to the latest operating systems.

According to a report on the updates from eWeek, Apple decided to release quick patches for their latest operating systems after third-party sources—including Google’s Project Zero and Yahoo’s Pentest team—identified …

4 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Apple’s iCloud Keychain...

Note: This page refers to older versions of Keychain. We have an updated (2021) article about iCloud Keychain features.

Even if you don’t use it, you probably already know that the basic purpose of your Mac’s Keychain software is password management. iCloud Keychain is meant to make browsing the web, connecting to Wi-Fi networks, making credit card payments online, and other day-to-day internet tasks easier, by remembering all of your usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, Wi-Fi network …

Recovering a Lost or Stolen iPhone

It goes without saying that the sleek, lightweight, and attractive design of the iPhones makes it an ideal smartphone choice for many. Unfortunately, those characteristics also make Apple’s flagship device both easy to lose and a target for theft. The small, light, and slippery design of the iPhone means that it can slip out of your pocket or bag without you immediately realizing it. And since iPhones are expensive, valuable assets, they tend to be the apple of many a potential thief’s eye (pun intended).

The good news is …

Newly Discovered OS X Security Flaw Could Give Hackers an Easy Way to Take...

If you by chance haven’t updated to Mac OS X 10.10 just yet (e.g., the Yosemite operating system update that first became available last October), then you may want to hold off. According to a recent blog post by cyber security researcher Stefan Esser, Apple added a few features to the code of OS X 10.10 that have introduced some pretty serious vulnerabilities into the system. The issues, Esser noted, are present in both the current Yosemite release (OS X 10.10.4), as well as in the beta version of …

PrivacyScan Available on Apple’s Volume Purchase Program

SecureMac’s award winning PrivacyScan software can now be downloaded in volume by schools, businesses and other organizations via the Apple Volume Purchase Program. Prior to last month, bulk purchasing software license keys was only an option for Apple software products such as GarageBand and iMovie. It is now open to all software developers creating apps and other products for iOS or OSX.

The PrivacyScan software is referred to by many as a “personal privacy clean up utility.” It scans the hard drive for information that could lead to hidden privacy threats, …

PGP 10 WDE for Mac OS X

5.12.10 News
PGP Whole Disk Encryption (WDE) ensures your entire hard disk is encrypted and only accessible by you. Read the whole review of PGP Whole Disk Encryption for Mac OS X.

Security Update for Leopard & Snow Leopard

Mac OS X Security Update – Apple posts new security update (2010-003) for Leopard and Snow Leopard. Users may update via the Software Updates System Preferences or by accessing Apple’s download site directly.

This security update addresses ATS (Apple Type Services) handling of embedded fonts. Accessing documents containing malicicously crafted embedded fonts may lead to arbitrary code execution. Charlie Miller is credited for discovery of this threat.