Apple is reportedly looking into the issue that local iOS 10 backups are more vulnerable to hacking than local backups created with previous versions of the iOS. The news came following an Elcomsoft's blog claiming that iOS 10 has a security flaw that would allow password-cracking attack which can pass through iOS 10 security checks.
The iPhone company apparently acknowledges the issue on the vulnerability of iOS backups as confirmed by an Apple spokesperson. He said, "We're aware of an issue that affects the encryption strength for backups of devices on iOS 10 when backing up to iTunes on the Mac or PC. We are addressing this issue in an upcoming security update," Forbes reported. It appears that Apple will be releasing another update to its recently released iOS 10 soon after the company corrects the problem.
Elcomsoft, a Russian iOS forensics firm claimed that they discovered an "alternative password verification mechanism" according to an Elcomsoft blog by Oleg Afonin. Afonin said that the new mechanism in iOS 10 "skips certain security checks" which allowed them to try passwords faster than the process used in older iOS versions.
However, the attack is only specific to iOS 10 backups that were locally done through iTunes. This means that in order for a hacker to access one's iOS files, the hacker must initially be able to access the local computer where the files were stored. So, for users who fear that this may affect their iOS 10 backups, it is recommended that they create a strong account password for their local computers. Another option is to choose to backup iOS 10 devices using iCloud for now until Apple has confirmed that the issue has been resolved.
Apple revealed that the iOS 10 backup security vulnerability "does not affect iCloud backups," according to the Apple spokesperson. "We recommend users ensure their Mac or PC are protected with strong passwords and can only be accessed by authorized users. Additional security is also available with FileVault whole disk encryption." the spokesperson added.
Check on some facts you need to know about the iOS 10 below.
