Comments on: Apple scrambles to fix AppleID security. But how will it restore iCloud trust?

By: Wilson Yeung

Wilson Yeung — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 05:23:27 +0000

As Mat Honan notes, your local pizza delivery guy also has the last 4 digits of your credit card number. Apple gives you a temporary password to iCloud with name, email, billing address and the last 4 credit card numbers. If Apple isn’t going to enforce the correct answers to security questions, well, why have the questions at all?

By: farnsworth

farnsworth — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:58:34 +0000

While Apple clearly needs to do some work, the major problem with this particular case lies with Amazon. Yet almost every article I read seems to focus on Apple. I don’t understand it.

By: maxclarke

maxclarke — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:02:57 +0000

Cloud is a cute name for somebody else’s hard drives that pretend to be your own, and you have no idea where in the world they really are.

Woz is right, it’s going to be a mess implementing cloud computing.

Kids growing up will use cloud computing as their primary system, though, and that will change the perception.

In the meantime, I back up everything. Maybe I’ll use the cloud to store Dilbert comic steps.

By: tariehk

tariehk — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:52:40 +0000

I am glad apple is doing what it can to look into this. Information in the cloud must be secure.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:52:10 +0000

Ronald, you make an incredible point. Why not incorporate some kind of GPS / location into security? All of the pieces are there…heck, I even have ‘home’ in my car, and on my phone…why not add it to security? You maybe on to something…

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:47:27 +0000

You have to treat the web as you would a bathroom wall – nothing is secure. No different than handing your credit card and drivers license to a waiter at a bar or restaraunt. Ironically for this individual, if he would have been using the ‘cloud’ and been swimming in the Apple pool, as they want you to, none of his data would have been lost. When you remote wipe your machine, it doesn’t delete the information in the cloud….granted it would have taken time to reinstall all of the programs one at a time, but it’s still do-able. Even better would have been a simple back up to Time Machine – then restoring would have only been one click away, on all of his Apple devices…

By: ronald

ronald — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:58:35 +0000

As long as people scatter their info all over the cloud, cross referencing will be the challenge. While it might look innocent to have a little data here and over there, putting it together is always more powerful.
In the apsense of any understanding of cross referencing by providers as well of users, Google’s two factor approach per provider and application is one possible solution. Just be prepared for an incredible mess over time, multiple generations of gadgets from different providers.
Context also would help, how can a machine let itself be wiped if it is at a location where it should be and the user/owner could be asked for confirmation?

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:50:52 +0000

“Apple will need to communicate the eventual fix clearly to future and current customers so users feel safe using its cloud.”

If I were Tim Cook I’d be on this.

By: Mcbeese

Mcbeese — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:47:56 +0000

Yes, Apple and Amazon each have a hole to plug, but an even bigger lesson from this is DON’T LINK YOUR ACCOUNT LOGINS and BACK UP YOUR STUFF.