Apple’s biggest ever hack – how to avoid being hacked

More than 225,000 Apple accounts have been hacked into – but only those of people who have ‘jailbroken’ their Devices

It’s been revealed that more than 225,000 valid Apple accounts have been stolen from people without their knowledge – but only if they had ‘jailbroken’ their phones.

The research from Weiptech and Palo Alto networks discovered that the details were obtained via malware that was distributed by using the popular jailbreak tool Cydia.

‘Jailbreaking’ your phone is when you remove the hardware restrictions on iOS and allows you to access banned apps and customise your phone, among other Things.

However, as it is not approved by Apple and it is done using unauthorised tools, it’s also an easy way for malicious people to instal malware on your phone, iPad or Apple TV.

The Malware, KeyRaider, uploaded all of the stolen information to a separate server.
Because this server wasn’t secure, the researchers who discovered the hack managed to hack into it, and download some of the stolen data before they were cut off.

As reported by The Next Web, login details were stolen, and so were purchasing receipts and device IDs, among other data.
It’s worrying news for anyone who has ‘jailbroken’ their device – but those who haven’t are safe.

How to avoid being hacked

• Don’t download any third party apps that haven’t been sanctioned by Apple
• Change your passwords regularly
• Keep your sensitive emails secure, use different passwords for different email accounts
• If you have jailbroken your phone, change your passwords