September 19, 2013

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Make sure no one can use your stolen iOS device with this guide to the iOS 7 Activation Lock.
Because Apple devices are so unique, they are often popular targets for thieves because they’re so distinctive and valuable. It’s such a problem that the NYPD has a special unit for Apple device theft. However, in iOS 7 Apple has turned the tables on the thieves by being able to make a device practically unusable with the new iOS 7 Activation Lock.
Powered by Find My iPhone, the still-misnomered service that tracks and locates a user’s iOS devices, Activation Lock makes a device that gets reset to be unusable unless it is logged in to with the iCloud username and password that was used to reset it. It’s the nuclear option that can make a stolen device unusable if the worst comes to worst.
Go in to Find My iPhone, either on an iOS device registered with the same iCloud account as the lost device, or on iCloud.com. Open up your device. Now, you need to choose whether you want to do Lost Mode or to Erase the device.
                      HowToActivationLock-FindMyIphone-338x600.png (338×600)Lost Mode works the same as it did before: it automatically locks the device, and creates a temporary passcode if one is not set in order to make sure that the device can’t be used by someone who shouldn’t be using it. As well, it is possible to add a message that someone with the device will see on the lock screen. But they can still theoretically erase it and use it for themselves.
                     HowToActivationLock-EnterAMessage-338x600.png (338×600)       HowToActivationLock-LockYourDevice-338x600.png (338×600)However, when choosing to erase the device from Find My iPhone, now what happens after it is erased is that not only is the Lost Device message that was input with optional phone number is shown:
But also, when trying to set up the device, the unlucky thief will now have to log in with the iCloud account that was set up with Find My iPhone to reset the device.HowToActivationLock-ActivationLock-450x600.png (450×600)

This makes it so that unless the person knows the Apple ID and password of the person they stole it from (which is highly unlikely), the device will be virtually unusable. Whether this helps to deter thieves is unknown, but it will help ensure that any thief not only won’t have access to data, but the device they stole will be a brick, too. Just remember to have Find My iPhone set up to begin with!
Source: 148apps

Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 by Admin

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Top prosecutors in San Francisco and New York and the mayor of London are urging iPhone users to download Apple's (AAPL) new iOS 7 operating system that includes a feature they believe might curb a rash of thefts.

San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and London Mayor Boris Johnson said in a joint statement Wednesday they believe the iOS 7's activation lock is an important step toward ending iPhone thefts worldwide.

They said the feature is available on Apple's newest iPhone and can also be downloaded on older models, but it's too early to know how effective it will be in preventing thefts.

The lawmakers have been pressuring leading manufacturers to create anti-theft features, including a kill switch to render smartphones inoperable.

Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 by Admin

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TORONTO: BlackBerry said that its popular BlackBerry Messenger instant chat application will be available for rival devices using Google's Android software and for Apple's iPhone this weekend.

The struggling Canadian smartphone maker had announced plans to open up the service, often referred to as BBM by both fans and the company, back in May.

Once a unique tool to send short messages without running up SMS charges, BBM now competes with mobile instant messaging products from Facebook, Apple and others, and less directly with the micro-blogging service Twitter.

Android users will be able to download the application on Saturday, while iPhone users can get it on Sunday.

Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 by Admin

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NEW DELHI: A potentially damaging virus, which steals SMSes and personal details of an Android-enabled gadget-user, has been detected in Indian cyberspace and internet security sleuths have asked mobile phone and tablet users to exercise caution while operating. 

The malware is affecting all the versions ofAndroid prior to version 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean). 

"It has been observed that a critical vulnerability exists in Android which could allow attackers to inject malicious code into legitimate applications which makes it possible to change an application's code without affecting the cryptographic signature of the application, essentially allowing a malicious author to trick the Android device into believing that the crafted application is unchanged," the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CeRT-In) said in its latest advisory to Android users in the country. 


The malicious programme, the advisory said, is so damaging that it could be used for stealing personal information like email addresses, IMEI numbers, SMSes and installed applications. 

"It could also send SMS or make calls from infected devices without user consent," the sleuths of the national cybersecurity centre said. 

"An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing other files with same name into an application package along with the legitimate files. The Android package verification occurs against the first file during installation. Thus, the crafted .APK passes the verification process and installs the second file. However, at runtime, other malicious file gets executed," the advisory said. 

The cyber police have also suggested some countermeasures. "Check for the permissions required by an application before installing, exercise caution while visiting untrusted sites for clicking links, run a full system scan through a device with a mobile security solution or mobile anti-virus solution, do not download and install applications from untrusted sources and download applications only from trusted sources, reputed application markets and Google Play Store," the security agency said.

Posted on Thursday, September 19, 2013 by Admin

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