For Apple, a new urgency to keep products secure

WASHINGTON — A couple months ago, Dutch hackers found a hole in Apple’s software that allowed them to bypass the company’s security features, but say the company did nothing.

An anonymous hacker says he has exploited an iCloud security flaw that lets anyone unlock a lost or stolen iPhone.

The Cult of Mac blog says this first-of-a-kind hack bypasses the iCloud security system for locked iOS devices called Activation Lock.

By using the DoulCi site, a locked iOS device can be tricked into thinking it is talking to Apple’s iCloud servers, when connected to a computer, Cult of Mac reports.

Now that the hackers have gone public about the lax controls, the popular tech titan is taking extra steps to keep their products secure.

In years past, hackers didn’t focus on Apple products, says CNN technology contributor Brett Larson: “They didn’t have a big enough fan base, so if you were to create malware on the Mac, it wouldn’t get as big a splash as it would on Microsoft Windows.”

Now that the iCloud is breakable, “my guess is that Apple will fix this problem as quickly as possible,” Larson says.

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