For the past nine months—and possibly for years—Apple has unnecessarily left many of its iOS customers open to attack because engineers failed to implement standard technology that encrypts all traffic traveling between handsets and the company’s App Store. While HTTPS-encrypted communications have been used for years to prevent attackers from intercepting and manipulating sensitive traffic sent by online banks and merchants, the native iOS app that connects to Apple’s App Store fully deployed the protection only recently. Elie Bursztein, a Google researcher who said he discovered the security hole in his spare time, said in a blog post published on Friday that he reported various iOS flaws to Apple’s security team in July. His post gave no indication that the iOS app had ever fully used HTTPS, raising the possibility that this significant omission has been present for years.
Apple Finally HTTPS Encrypts the iOS App Store
on 3.11.13
Author: Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is Fox 5 New York's On-air Tech Expert (WNYW-TV) and the host of Fox Television's monthly show Shelly Palmer Digital Living. He also hosts United Stations Radio Network's, Shelly Palmer Digital Living Daily, a daily syndicated radio report that features insightful commentary and a unique insiders take on the biggest stories in technology, media, and entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group, LLC an industry-leading advisory and business development firm and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards).
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