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Apple 'Deeply Apologetic' Over Account Hacks in China (wsj.com)

Posted by msmash on from the issued-in-public-interest dept.

Apple has issued an apology over the hacking of some Chinese accounts in phishing scams, almost a week after it emerged that stolen Apple IDs had been used to swipe customer funds. From a report: In its English statement Tuesday, Apple said it found "a small number of our users' accounts" had been accessed through phishing scams. "We are deeply apologetic about the inconvenience caused to our customers by these phishing scams," Apple said in its Chinese statement. The incident came to light last week when Chinese mobile-payment giants Alipay and WeChat Pay said some customers had lost money. The victims of the scams, Apple said Tuesday, hadn't enabled so-called two-factor authentication -- a setting that requires a user to log in with a password and a freshly-generated code to verify their identity.

14 comments

  1. Sorry for what? by sloth+jr · · Score: 2

    If Apple provided the ability for two-factor authentication, and customers didn't use it, and they got phished - what exactly is Apple apologizing for? PEBKAC?

    1. Re:Sorry for what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Apple provided the ability for two-factor authentication, and customers didn't use it, and they got phished - what exactly is Apple apologizing for? PEBKAC?

      the tiny red dong demands apologies

    2. Re:Sorry for what? by parkinglot777 · · Score: 1

      If Apple provided the ability for two-factor authentication, and customers didn't use it, and they got phished - what exactly is Apple apologizing for? PEBKAC?

      For some people, 2FA doesn't help. When some people aren't cautious enough, they could still be scam from phishing. It all depends on how well the scammer is too. Thus, 2FA is NOT a perfect solution for all (but could be most).

    3. Re:Sorry for what? by hey! · · Score: 1

      Sure, Apple has nothing to be ashamed of (at least in *this* situation), but that doesn't mean they have nothing to apologize for.

      There's a whole scope of application for apologies that involves keeping everything running smoothly despite peoples' unreasonable hurt feelings. I know that for a lot of people apologizing when you've done nothing wrong is inconceivable, but it's often cost-effective, because an apology doesn't really cost you anything.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    4. Re:Sorry for what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, what a waste of bits. Oh, thus ..

    5. Re:Sorry for what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They didn't do anything wrong, of course, it was "hackers", not them.

      So this is just general contriteness for PR purposes. A big show and no substance. As usual when "hackers" are in play.

    6. Re:Sorry for what? by PPH · · Score: 1

      If Apple provided the ability for two-factor authentication

      That's a big 'if'? What are the chances that the Chinese demanded that Apple not implement anything that authorities couldn't easily crack? And that blew back and bit them in the ass when hackers got hold of the back door?

      NSA and the other Five Eyes stooges, I'm looking at you.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  2. Translation... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "We're sorry that some of you are just too stupid to use very simple security protections that are already in place."

  3. Any time Apple says "a small number" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can be rest assured that it was NOT a "small number".

    They just love to use that term. "We've discovered a problem affecting a small percentage of users" (read: the entire device lineup is fucked, there should be a global recall). "A small portion of our user base may have had their accounts compromised" (read: everyone could have been affected, the hackers just weren't brazen enough to grab that many accounts all at once). Etc, etc.

    But don't worry, because it's the user's fault they're holding it wrong/using it wrong/not securing it correctly. Clearly not Apple's fault. No siree bob. Not like that wide open root auth hole they left in 10.13, or the fact it's remarkably trivial to circumvent the entire T2 security chip in the newer computers and modify the OS at will (even to a persistent extent, like an EFI boot kit but much, much more difficult to remove). Or the iCloud leak that later got known as The Fappening. Nope, none of this is Apple's fault! They can do no wrong.

  4. we are deeply sorry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that you actually thought our system were secure.

    1. Re:we are deeply sorry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hmm, you seem to have a reading comprehension problem. No system is secure when users give away access.

  5. Trump is going to take some prisoner man meat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Deeply felt

  6. Way to suck Chinas dick apple. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In China: We are deeply sorry.
    Rest of the world: Your holding it wrong.