Apple Adding 'Kill Switch' to iPhones

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Apple wants to do its part in reducing crime, more specifically crime involving its own mobile devices. Apple will be initiating a ‘kill switch’ feature as part of the final release of iOS7 slated to debut sometime in the fall. The ‘kill switch’ makes deactivating the ‘Find My Phone’ tracking system virtually impossible without the Apple ID and a password.

The overall crime rate in the city increased 3% last year -- but "if you subtracted just the increase in Apple product thefts, we would have had an overall decrease in crime in New York," Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said.
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It will probably be hacked, but still a good starting point. All valuable smartphones should have a similar feature.
 
Most criminals who steal phones aren't great with technology. Making it one step harder to disable is a good thing in my eyes.
 
I wish this was in place when my iPad and iPhone were stolen... They need to advertise the heck out of this feature too. I devices seem to be white hot items to steal, maybe this will slow that down a bit...
 
Warrior said:
Patent Pending I'm sure....
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I hope not. Google has had this in Android for quite some time.

Heck, Google has full enterprise support. If the phone is joined to a Google Business account, the admin can force certain settings, encrypt the phone, track it, and even do a full on data wipe.

Apple's late to the show here.
 
messerchmidt said:
flashing it back to a previous version of i os or such will probably defeat this
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Jailbreak most likely. Unless they build it onto a separate chip. If anything, it'll make the phone worthless to a good majority of criminals. The people who usually steal phones aren't exactly the tech bunch. They're criminals of opportunity.
 
At first I was excited because you could remotely kill an iPhone owner. Now, I'm just another sad panda. :(
 
Besides being stupid/careless, how do you get your phone stolen?
 
Hofy said:
Besides being stupid/careless, how do you get your phone stolen?
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Someone running up from behind and grabbing it out of your hand while you are talking on it. Happens all the time in big cities. Then they just disappear into the crowd.
 
Spidey329 said:
I hope not. Google has had this in Android for quite some time.

Heck, Google has full enterprise support. If the phone is joined to a Google Business account, the admin can force certain settings, encrypt the phone, track it, and even do a full on data wipe.

Apple's late to the show here.
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No, this goes beyond what BB/Android/iOS have all had for quite some time.

This physically makes it if the thief tries wiping the phone / recovering / DFUing the phone even that the phone is not able to be used as you can't get past the initial activation screen without the proper iCloud login. It goes well beyond what everyone (including Apple) already has.
 
Can't edit -

So with any phone right now all you have to do is wipe it and restore it back to factory defaults and you basically own the phone. With this new activation lock in iOS 7 the phone is effectively bricked unless you know the iCloud username/login. It's forced during the initial activation phase after the iPhone has been wiped.

So yeah, unless you've got a working jailbreak the phone is bricked, and a lot of Jailbreaks require that you at least get past the first activation screen anyways.
 
48 hours after release someone will release a 1 click tool to defeat it.
 
raptorxrx said:
Most criminals who steal phones aren't great with technology. Making it one step harder to disable is a good thing in my eyes.
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Not sure what it's like over there but every mall we have has a sections dedicated to these.

pic02a.jpg


Each one is a hacking station with a full set of tools and software to mod every brand of cellphone. If you forget your password or whatever, you bring it to these guys and they'll break into it for you. You can even have your imei changed, no questions asked.
 
So I put it in a couple of layers of tin foil. problems solved.

I mean it makes it harder, but not so much harder the problem is going to be shopped. Probably not even hurt by half.
 
Hofy said:
Besides being stupid/careless, how do you get your phone stolen?
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You are kidding, right? I've seen someone snatch someone's phone in broad daylight in broad daylight on a city street with plenty of people around. They just grabbed the phone and ran down an alley and fucked if anyone was going to risk their lives to chase them.
 
raptorxrx said:
Most criminals who steal phones aren't great with technology. Making it one step harder to disable is a good thing in my eyes.
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Most criminals around here take it to a shop to get it unlocked, for likely less than 25$. They still get a hefty profit afterwards.
 
Sly said:
Not sure what it's like over there but every mall we have has a sections dedicated to these.

pic02a.jpg


Each one is a hacking station with a full set of tools and software to mod every brand of cellphone. If you forget your password or whatever, you bring it to these guys and they'll break into it for you. You can even have your imei changed, no questions asked.
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It seems people commenting in this thread are oblivious as to what they are commenting on.

Again, unless a jailbreak exists for the version of iOS the phone is running the phone will forever be bricked. Further, if the device in question is ever restored again without a jail break it'll again be useless.
 
Canon said:
I wish this was in place when my iPad and iPhone were stolen... They need to advertise the heck out of this feature too. I devices seem to be white hot items to steal, maybe this will slow that down a bit...
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I can see the ads now...

"Buy an iPhone for its anti theft features because just owning one means it'll get stolen anyway!"

Just like the racket that is AppleCare. "Buy our extended warranty cause you'll need it anyway even though we advertise our products as superior and "just works"..."
 
I'm not saying efforts to reduce the value of stolen phones aren't a good thing, but I don't think this will have much of an effect on thefts.

A lot of phone thefts are opportunistic, the would be thief won't stop to check if its an iPhone or if its had this update applied, just grab and run. When they realise later its worthless to them and might even be bringing the cops to their location they'll either dismantle it for parts, smash it, or throw it in the river. Sure the thief doesn't necessarily profit from it, but the owner is still out the price of a phone.

(Of course if its a mugging in a suitably shady area they can always extract the login details with the same menace they extract the phone).

I think where this will help is encouraging people to be honest when they find a lost phone.
 
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