APPLE HAS POSTED a new security warning for users of its iCloud online storage service amid reports of a concerted effort to steal passwords and other data from people who use the popular service in China.
In a post last night, Apple said:
We’re aware of intermittent organized network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information, and we take this very seriously.
Apple’s own servers have not been compromised, however.
The post didn’t mention China or provide any details on the attacks, but there have been reports that some Chinese internet users have begun seeing warnings that they had been diverted to an unauthorized website when they attempted to sign into their iCloud accounts.
That kind of diversion, known as a “man in the middle” attack, could allow a third party to copy and steal the passwords that users enter when they think they are signing into Apple’s service.
Hackers could then use the passwords to collect other data from the users’ accounts.
Apple said the attacks aren’t affecting users who sign into iCloud from their iPhones or iPads, or on Mac computers while using the latest Mac OS Yosemite, and Apple’s Safari browser.
But they suggested a number of specific steps to make sure you’re connecting to a legitimate iCloud server. You can check them out here.
Contains reporting from the Associated Press.
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