Why it matters to you
Your Apple account could be part of a massive data breach and it could be used by hackers to demand ransom from Apple.
A group of hackers is allegedly trying to extort Apple by holding Apple customers’ data for ransom and threatening to remotely wipe iCloud accounts connected to both iPhones and iPads if those ransoms are not paid.
The group self-identifies as the “Turkish Crime Family,” and it is demanding either $75,000 in Ethereum or Bitcoin or $100,000 in iTunes gift cards, according to a report from Motherboard. Not only that, but the hackers gave Apple an April 7 deadline to meet the demands — or else they will start wiping both phones and iCloud accounts.
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The hackers even went to the trouble of providing screenshots, allegedly showing conversations that the group has had with Apple. In one instance, an Apple security team member asked if the hackers were willing to provide a “sample or the data set,” possibly to verify the validity of the data and make sure that the accounts were indeed breached. Last but not least, the hackers uploaded a video to YouTube with further proof.
In other words, things aren’t looking good.
Even worse? The sheer number of accounts the hackers have access to. According to Motherboard, one of the hackers claim to have gained access to 300 million Apple accounts, including Apple’s own @iCloud. Another hacker in the group claimed that the group had access to an even-more-scary 559 million accounts.
The reports do call into question Apple’s security. It’s currently unclear exactly how they gained access to Apple’s servers, however, it’s possible that the team didn’t directly hack Apple but rather gained information through previous data breaches or used social engineering to get information.
Apple says it’s working with the authorities to bring the hackers to justice and it’s likely we haven’t heard the last of this story. We’ll update this article as we hear more.