Cops hacking iPhones for information
I used to think that if I ever got hit by a car while out and about (God forbid, of course), the most useful place to find identifying information would be in my wallet. But that's not really the case any more. As cops are learning these days, the best place in a person's pockets to learn about them is their iPhone. Not only is the phone full of contact information (and indeed, I've included an "ICE" number on every phone I've ever had), but it's also got lots of other information about me, including where I've been lately, what kinds of things I've searched for, and even what apps I've used and how often.
Besides the obvious places (in the apps themselves), there's a lot of information that you as a user don't have access to. iOS apparently caches both screenshots and text used while multitasking and spell checking, so even if you don't actively save information on your iPhone, odds are it's there anyway.
Before you panic and decide to ditch your iPhone for privacy's sake, keep in mind that whoever's trying to get this information needs to have direct access to the iPhone itself. At this point, hackers can't dive into your phone over the air and steal your secrets (most of them, anyway). But this type of "iPhone forensics" is very useful for cops trying to figure out what anonymous victims have been up to lately.
Thanks, Colin!
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I used to think that if I ever got hit by a car while out and about (God forbid, of course), the most useful place to find identifying...
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A search for "forensics" on app store shows iphone app for cops too - MPS Guide? How-to guide for seizing phones.
September 15 2010 at 11:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyTake a look at our site AppleExaminer.com to see all of the processes and techniques being used for Macs, iPhones, etc.
September 15 2010 at 11:14 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHow is the iPhone passcode hacked?
Are there apps that can contain data which cannot be hacked?
I use 1password for that exact reason. No other information on my phone is sensitve except for the info in that app.
September 15 2010 at 9:01 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWell, in theory everything can be hacked it is just a matter of tools and time. Apps like 1Password or LockBox store their data encrypted .. so it will be a little more difficult to hack (depending on the password strength).
@TheCastro ..
That depends on what you regard as "sensitive" information. I guess you still have a AddressBook and call history and possible some text messages or a Facebook account ..
T.
The article says a hacker cannot OTA (over the air) get to that information, no that's correct. But if you for example jailbreak your phone, what a lot of people do, it can send all that non-critical/critical information to a server. Right, just for the fun of it.
September 15 2010 at 6:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAll I want for xmas!
Tuaw iPad app & Apple Tv!!! In that order!
OMG! it's an Issaquah police car! are you (the writer of this article) a native of the Bellevue/Issaquah area?
September 15 2010 at 2:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHow is an "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) number going to help at the scene of an accident if the display on the iPhone is locked?
September 15 2010 at 1:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAt this point there is going to be someone reading this article who will come up with a way to read the information remotely without the user knowing, and at the same time, someone else working on the iphone dev team will probably figure out a way to let jailbroken users protect themselves from this situation. I'd rather jailbreak to protect myself even if there is no threat because i'd rather be safe then sorry.
September 15 2010 at 1:36 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyCan I put an EULA on my phone? "By hacking into this phone, you agree that nothing you find can or will be used against its owner in a court of law, so help you God. [Yes] [No]"
September 14 2010 at 10:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnd is the iPhone the only one with this problem? Are the cops breaking into locked iphones that have a password, or is this just people without a lock on their phones?
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