HackingFBI denies hackers’ claim that they had stolen Apple ID data
The FBI on Tuesday disputed the claim of a computer hacker group that said it had stolen the personal identification data on millions of Apple device owners from an FBI agent’s laptop
The FBI on Tuesday disputed the claim of a computer hacker group that said it had stolen the personal identification data on millions of Apple device owners from an FBI agent’s laptop.
According to FBI officials, the bureau never asked for and never possessed the database that the group, called AntiSec, is posting on their Web site.
“The FBI is aware of published reports alleging that an FBI laptop was compromised and private data regarding Apple UDIDs was exposed,” a spokeswoman told FoxNews.com. “At this time, there is no evidence indicating that an FBI laptop was compromised or that the FBI either sought or obtained this data.”
The FBI has denied that it ever had possession of the data that AntiSec has released, but officials also said they could not verify the validity of the data AntiSec released. Officials are now warning that computer users and owners should be careful of the links they click on because of the potential threat of the link containing malware that can infect computers.
Apple assigns unique identification numbers (UDIDs), a string of numbers and letters, to all of its devices. The numbers in the UDID let iTunes as well as other application developers know which device (iPad, iTouch, iPhone, ect) is running which applications.
According to AntiSec, in addition to releasing the identification numbers, they also released the name a person chooses for their device and whether the device is an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. If this information is linked to a name or address, it could be used as a way to get more personal information and could possibly lead to a stolen identity.
In their posting, AntiSec said that it got the file through an agent’s laptop and that the agent was part of the bureau’s cyber action teams. AntiSec also said that part of the file’s name on the laptop was “NCFTA” which refers to the National Cyber Forensics & Training Alliance. The NCFTA is a non-profit group made up of experts from the public and private sectors to share information on cyber threats.
Earlier this year FBI agents arrested hackers tied to another group, called LulzSec. The arrest revealed that the leader, known as Sabu, was in fact an FBI informant. Law enforcement officials said that linking this latest incident to the government could be done as retribution for the arrests. These groups usually hack devices in order to embarrass the government.
