Apple Responds to Hacker’s Threat to Wipe Hundreds of Millions of iPhones

Fortune ^ | Mar 22, 2017 | By Robert Hackett

[Swordmaker]

Apple is reassuring customers that its systems have not been breached while a hacker, or hackers, threaten to remotely wipe hundreds of millions iPhones of all their data, including photos, videos, and messages.

The hackers are using an alleged cache of stolen email accounts and passwords as leverage in an attempt to extort the world's most valuable company. They claim to have access to as many as 559 million Apple email and iCloud accounts, Vice blog Motherboard reported on Tuesday.

The group, calling itself "Turkish Crime Family," said it would delete its alleged list of compromised login credentials only after Apple pays it $75,000 in cryptocurrency, either Bitcoin or rival Ether, or $100,000 worth of iTunes gift cards, Motherboard reported. The group has given Apple (AAPL, -0.33%) a deadline of April 7 to meet its demands.

[Texan Tory]

“...only after Apple pays it $75,000 in cryptocurrency, either Bitcoin or rival Ether, or $100,000 worth of iTunes gift cards”

Even 1960s-era Doctor Evil set his sights a little higher than $100,000

[vooch]

tells you how little these guys get paid in their day jobs

[Red Badger]

Some 14 year-old somewhere in Europe.....................

[Swordmaker]

No, Apple says, The "Turkish Crime Family" has not hacked into the iCloud. They used regular email phishing to gain access to a few Apple iCloud users' accounts and were attempting to leverage those into a payday from Apple. There's no huge hack of all users to worry about. — PING!

Apple iCloud and Devices Are Safe
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

[scooby321]

Not The Russians

Adam Schiff I sure the British told him it was Russians

[Laser_Ray]

They wouldn’t be announcing this at all if the threat were remotely true whatsoever. No worries, folks.

[IncPen]

$100,000 worth of iTunes gift cards

This is a hilarious demand, if you think about it.

Because every real criminal knows that iTunes gift cards are untraceable!

[dayglored]

LOL. What a bunch of idiots.

[zaxtres]

Making Apple capitulate for something as small as 75K to Apple sets them up for a much larger grab in the future. Once it has been done the next time it will be even easier to capitulate. Apple may be a left leaning company but give them kudos for not capitulating to this demand nor matter how small the pittance is.