Apple eyes new cloud security steps in wake of hack of celebrity photos

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Apple eyes new cloud security steps in wake of hack of celebrity photos

PUBLISHED : Saturday, 06 September, 2014, 4:05am
UPDATED : Saturday, 06 September, 2014, 4:40am

Reuters

Tim Cook said Apple would broaden its use of the two-factor authentication security system to avoid future intrusions.

Apple is planning additional steps to keep hackers out of user accounts in the face of the celebrity photo scandal and will aggressively encourage users to take stricter security measures, says CEO Tim Cook.

Apple will alert users through email and push notifications when someone tries to change an account password, restore iCloud data to a new device, or when a device logs into an account for the first time.

Apple is moving quickly to restore confidence in its systems' security ahead of the launch of its new iPhone next week.

Cook told The Wall Street Journal that Apple would broaden its use of the two-factor authentication security system to avoid future intrusions.

That system requires a user to have two of three things to access an account, which may include a password, a separate four-digit one-time code, or a long access key given to the user when they signed up for the service.

Apple said it planned to more aggressively encourage people to turn on the two-factor authentication in the new version of iOS.

"The usability battle will always be there, but could you ever imagine using your debit card at an ATM and not entering a pin? That's two factor, something you have [a card] and something you know [a pin], and we all get along just fine," WhiteHat Security's Matt Johansen said.

Apple said on Tuesday that the attacks on celebrities' iCloud accounts were individually targeted, and that none of the cases it investigated had resulted from a breach of its systems.

Some security experts have faulted Apple for failing to make its devices and software easier to secure through two-factor authentication, which requires a separate verification code after users log in initially.

Apple could also do more to advertise that option, they said. Most people do not bother with security measures because of the hassle, experts say, and phone makers are partly to blame.

The iCloud service allows users to store photos and other content and access it from any Apple device. Security in the cloud has been a paramount concern in past years, but that has not stopped the rapid adoption of services that offer reams of storage and management of data and content off smartphones and computers.