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Apple's developer website hacked

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Last Thursday Apple's developer website went offline after a successful hacker attempt. In the meantime the intruder was able to access registered developer accounts.

Apple has always been surrounded by a certain flair of security. There is hardly any serious malware compared to PCs and Android devices - which can be easily explained when looking at the giant market share of Windows and Android. So what happens if someone doesn't target the devices' operating systems but instead chooses to go after Apple's developer website?

We were able to find out last Thursday as the Apple developer website got hacked. Soon after the successful attempt, the website displayed an apologetic message that maintenance is taking longer than expected. At the same time some developers started receiving password reset e-mails and suspicion arose that there was foul play. While Apple issued a statement admitting a security breach, they also were quick to ensure their users that "sensitive personal information was encrypted and cannot be accessed". However, according to Apple names, mailing addresses and e-mail addresses may have been compromised.

There is always the question where you draw the line when defining sensitive information. Another question is also whether Apple can say with certainty that their encryption cannot be cracked. There is no denying from their side that the intruder had access to this information. While some people use their real names and addresses for various social networks it can still be argued that a company's responsibility doesn't start with bank account details. So far however there has not been an audible outcry from the registered Apple developers.

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Kurt Jonke, 2013-07-22 (Update: 2013-07-22)