FBI denies 12m iPad & iPhone IDs – including Obama's – were stolen from agency laptop
The internet is abuzz with a claim from hacker group AntiSec that it has acquired 12 million identification numbers for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod devices.
AntiSec claims to have swiped the IDs from a laptop used by an FBI agent.
An over-excited Mashable report even raises the possibility that US President Barack Obama's iPad identification number (known as a UDID) was among one million numbers posted online by AntiSec, a faction of Anonymous.
But while the IDs looked genuine, the FBI has poured cold water on AntiSec's claims.
In a statement, quoted by the New York Times, it said, “At this time there is no evidence indicating that an FBI laptop was compromised or that the FBI either sought or obtained this data”.
For those outraged the FBI has Apple IDs in the first place, an Apple spokeswoman told the Times:
“The FBI has not requested this information from Apple, nor have we provided it to the FBI or any organisation.”
A device ID number itself is not enough to access an iPad or iPhone. A hacker would need extra details such as the owner's date of birth or email address.
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Comments and questions3
Yes, they would need Barak Hussein Obama's birthdate, but fortunately not his place of birth as well, because that might be difficult, and might explain why the FBI could have had these details on the reportedly compromised laptop, left behind when the boys went down to the Cost Rica nightclub for a little R$R. His email address is of course no1at_home@usgovt.com
" Neither sought nor obtained" and "Not requested nor provided" leaves the door WIDE open to the conclusion that the info was obtained by stealth !
the US intel agencies have been spying on everyone for years they track everyone globally through many different gadgets the target may own.
At least Endace profits from this though right?