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Hackers Threaten 300 Million iPhone Users

Posted: March 22, 2017 to Technology.

Tags: Data Breach, AI, Cloud Security

A hacker group called the Turkish Crime Family is demanding $75,000 in cyrptocurrency or $100,000 in iTunes gift cards from Apple. They claim to have access to 300 million iCloud accounts and say they'll wipe all those accounts clean if Apple doesn't pony up. A screenshot of a conversation between the hacker group and the Apple security team was sent to the online magazine Motherboard, who first broke the story. In it, Apple asked for proof of hack. The Turkish Crime Family responded with a YouTube video of an allegedly hacked account getting wiped. If the iCloud accounts are truly at risk, it's not exactly clear how many accounts are at risk. The Turkish Crime Family's Twitter account claims to have 200 million iCloud accounts, though an email says the number is 300 million. Another email says 559 million. So far, Apple isn't giving into the demands, saying they don't want to reward illegal actions. The hackers have given a deadline of April 7. Whether the hacker group has control of all these iCloud accounts or not, Apple is advising its users to change their iCloud passwords and make sure two-step authentication is enabled.

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About the Author

Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books
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