Officials in New York and San Francisco this week praised the security features in iOS 7, which they said could help deter a rash of mobile gadget thefts in both cities.
Earlier this summer, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman teamed up with various state and local officials for a "secure our smartphone" (S.O.S.) initiative. Amidst an increased number of mobile device robberies in major cities across the U.S., the duo called on phone makers like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and more to implement security controls that would deter such criminal activity.
Just days after the initiative was announced, Apple took the stage at its Worldwide Developer Conference, where it revealed the enhanced security features within iOS 7. That includes Activation Lock, which will require your Apple ID log-in credentials if a phone is remotely wiped. So if someone swipes your iPhone on the subway and you activate remote wipe via Find My iPhone, the device is essentially a brick unless the thief also knows your Apple ID username and password.
At the time, Gascón and Schneiderman said they would reserve judgment about iOS 7's security features until they had more time to review them. Yesterday, after iOS 7 was released, they said the mobile OS "is an important first step towards ending the global epidemic of smartphone theft," and encouraged iPhone and iPad users to upgrade.
"In the months ahead, it is our hope that Activation Lock will prove to be an effective deterrent to theft, and that the widespread use of this new system will end the victimization of iPhone users, as thieves learn that the devices have no value on the secondary market," Gascón and Schneiderman said in a joint statement. "We are particularly pleased that – because Activation Lock is a feature associated with Apple's new operating system as opposed to a new device – it will be available to consumers with older phone models who download the free upgrade."
They stressed, however, that the impact might not be immediate given that the average thief is probably not up on the minutiae of mobile OS security features. "Accordingly, it is vital that consumers be aware of their surroundings at all times, especially when using their smartphones in public places," they said.
"Additionally, the success of Activation Lock is largely dependent on the failure of hackers' rumored exploits," they said.
On that front, hackers are already trying to exploit the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5s. An online crowd-funding effort is offering up reward money to the first person who successfully hacks the feature. Current offers are being catalogued via istouchidhackedyet.com, and those offering bounties can do so via Twitter with the #istouchidhackedyet hash tag.
Gascón and Schneiderman did not mention other phone makers in their release. Updated mobile OSes from Google (Android KitKat) and Microsoft (Windows Phone 8) are expected next month.
For more, check out New Features in iOS 7 Make iPhone More Secure Than Ever, as well as PCMag's review of iOS 7.