Apple iCloud 'hacked' in China

Internet censorship lobby group blames Chinese authorities, but other experts are unable to say who is to blame

A customer holds the latest generation of Apple iPhones in an Apple store in Oberhausen, Germany
Apple sold 39.3m iPhones in the quarter Credit: Photo: EPA

Apple’s iCloud service in mainland China has been hacked, according to reports.

The perpetrators of the cyber- attack are allegedly able to access customers’ usernames, passwords and other personal data, raising fresh fears over the security of Apple’s systems.

The online censorship watchdog GreatFire.org has blamed Chinese authorities for the attack, but other experts told the Wall Street Journal that they could not identify those responsible.

Whoever is at fault, the security breach is likely to stoke tensions between America and China, who are already locked in a tit-for-tat cyber security war.

America has for years argued that Chinese technology is unsafe because it could be used to help Beijing spy. More recently, China has cautioned officials against using Apple products on the same grounds – that America could use them to spy on China.

The alleged attack came to light over the weekend, after vigilant users spotted warning messages on their internet browsers and started discussing the matter in online forums.

Zhou Shugang, a Chinese internet campaigner based in Taiwan, eventually tested the service and found that the link between the users of Apple’s iCloud storage service, and the service itself, had been hijacked, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Erik Hjelmvik, an analyst with Netresec AB, a Swedish technology frim specialising in security software, arrived at a similar conclusion, based on data posted by iCloud users in mainland China.

“It’s evident that it’s quite massive,” Mr Hjelmvik said. “The attack was quite sophisticated in that they apparently have quite a huge system set up in order to be able to intercept on such a large scale.”

A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said it was not aware of an attack on Apple’s servers, and that Beijing is opposed to cyber-hacking.

Apple said in a statement that it was “aware of intermittent organised network attacks” but that they did not compromise iCloud servers. “Apple is deeply committed to protecting our customers’ privacy and security,” it added.

Either way, the reported assault comes at a sensitive time for the company.

Last month, hackers targeted the iCloud accounts of celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence, in order that they could access and publish their nude photographs.

The incident immediately raised alarm bells about the security of Apple’s iCloud, although the company has since stressed that the attack only affected a few, carefully targeted celebrities.

Meanwhile, Apple is also working hard to improve its standing in China. Chief executive Tim Cook has made considerable headway in the territory, forging a deal with China Mobile – the country, and the world’s largest mobile phone operator. However, Apple slid back again afterwards, after the government banned certain products and allegedly delayed the launch of the iPhone 6 in the territory.