We've heard it before: Make sure to secure your online accounts with a strong, distinct password to avoid being hacked. But what if hackers can simply circumvent the need for your password to gain access to your information?
That's what happened to reporter Mat Honan when Apple tech support gave a hacker access to Honan's iCloud account, wreaking havoc on the Wired reporter's digital life.
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Late Friday, hackers gained access to Honan's iCloud account. From there, they were able to access his Gmail account, Twitter account and the Twitter account of his former employee Gizmodo. In his blog, Honan recounted the speed of the attack:
At 5:00 PM, they remote wiped my iPhone At 5:01 PM, they remote wiped my iPad At 5:05, they remote wiped my MacBook Air.
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Even scarier, because Honan's password was bypassed, his password strength -- he used a seven digit alphanumeric password -- and reliance on software like 1Password did him no good.
@stlwpmeetup thanks Rob, I already use 1password to do the same. In this case, however, my passwords on all services were bypassed— Is this Mat Honan? (@mat) August 5, 2012
After a nightmare ordeal trying to regain control of his accounts, Honan was contacted by someone claiming to be his hacker. After some digging, Honan says it was Apple support that mistakenly gave the hacker access to his iCloud account.
"I know how it was done now. Confirmed with both the hacker and Apple. It wasn't password related," Honan wrote in the latest update on his blog. "They got in via Apple tech support and some clever social engineering that let them bypass security questions."
Honan's Twitter and Gmail service has been restored and he is working to recover what data he can from his machines. However, it's still unclear what "clever social engineering" his hacker used to avoid answering security questions. Honan has been responding to questions on his Twitter feed about the experience and says he is giving Apple a chance to respond before giving more details of the attack.
[via Mac Rumours]
This story originally published on Mashable here.