Several Questions Related to Stolen iPhones

Updated My Questions:

Sorry this is a long list of questions and I suspect there are answers already somewhere, but I cannot find them. Also the information on iPhone security is quite high level and inadequate for these wanting to be more than passive.

Also if anyone has related question please comment. These questions also may apply to mac and ipads to.

My phone was stolen and I am trying to get the low down on aspect of the iPhone Operation to know how to best manage and limit the phone usage and protect my data.

The iPhone has three unize numbers:

• SIM Card ID which the thief can bypass by changing the SIM Card so this is not of interest.
• IMEI Communication Chip ID which cannot be changed in the phone. This getting the mobile network company to block that number and share this blocked number with other mobile companies. How far the network companies share the blocked IMEI numbers is of interest.
• GUID Phone Chip ID which cannot be changed in the phone. I have a number of questions in this area as this can be used to cripple the iPhone if implemented by apple correctly. This GUID appears to go by a number of names.

I have been down to the Apple Store and the Genus(?) was very vague answers and the so called Genus known less than me and I am NO Apple Mac or iPhone expert. The second Genus at the Apple store then gave me conflicting answers, but again appeared to know less than me. In both case they gave me incorrect answers to some questions and their logic was flawed.

The only thing they could suggest was blocking the IMEI number with the mobile network company and wiping it with find my phone. They denied the existence of a GUID. Even though in the Apple store you can download app’s the report the GUID.

I should add that I have had good support from the apple store in the past. The Apple staff did claim to be experts in Apple and have special mobile device security training.

So I would like if someone from Apple who actually knows this stuff can give an official answer.

In Australia 150,000 smart phones where stolen last year and according to the Police and a large percentage were iPhones. So these questions will help many people.

However I got the impression that some of the questions are sensitive and Apple are reluctant to answer. At least that is the impression form the Genus's at the Apple Store.

My Situtation:

The theif switch of the phone straight after stealing the phone. I rang it and they switch it off after a couple of rings. The phone disappear of the face of the earth. The phone never appeared on find My iPhone never appeared on. Thus find my phone has not returned a result.

The police advised the phones get switch off taken to a place where there is no coverage. Such as building basement and which on and reset and/or hacked.

They advise that the phones get sent oversea and sold there as the IMEI block is only effect with in Australia. Blocked IMEI codes are not shared internationally.

The police advise that professional thief’s will hit and are steal several phone and device and then move on the next area every hour. They are well organized and appear to target Smartphones and other devices. Send the devices overseas to be sold where the IMEI is not blocked.

IMEI Questions:

1. Is there any known effort mobile network company to get to share blocked IMEI number internationally or at least in Developed Countries?

(As the would make stolen phones bricks and largely unsellable).

GUID Questions:

2. Are the GUID and IMEI separate numbers ore the same number?

(If they are the same the following GUID questions should be apply to the IMEI)

3. Can the GUID in the phone be changed?

4. When a point is assigned to a Apple/iTunes account is the GUID attached to the account as well?

This would mean:

• A phone even after wiping could not be attached to a new Apple Cloud account. As Apple Cloud would know which account the phone really belonged to), (To move the device off the account the to a new account a user would need to log on to Apple Cloud and Remove the device form the account).
• A phone even after wiping, the phone would still be attached to the account in the Apple Cloud. The (thief or receiver) new account used the phone could not be reload with music, software etc. Unless the new user known the Apple Cloud user name and password of the original owner. Which if the phone was wiped remotely would not be a problem.
• Even wiped phones could be tracked, if Find My Phone was on by default and could not be switch off, until the phone was logged into the Apple Cloud. Which could not be done as described above. If a phone is new it’s GUID would not be registered under an account with Apple Cloud thus. Apple Cloud could be set to not track phones, where the GUID is not registered to an account and switch Find My Phone function on the phone in this case.
• A block option could be added to Apple Cloud to stop phones from using the Apple Cloud. This when the phone goes missing it can be blocked.

Caveats

• At present it appears that the phones GUID are not used in associating a phone to an account. The only reason for this I assume is so stolen phones can get assigned to a new Apple Cloud account and Apple can then sell more software, music etc. to the thief or receiver of the stolen phone.
• The only issue is when a phone is sold second hand it would require the original owner to remove the phone from their Account, before the new owner could assign the phone to their Apple account

Phone Security:

There are occasional reports of security loop holes. This is important when it comes to stolen phones and data security.

As it the phones SIM is remove then it cannot connect to the Internet and any local WiFi can be secured to stop the stolen phone from connecting. Thus Find My Phone cannot locate or wipe the phone. So in this situation how safe is the data on the phone.

5. Which phone models and operating system versions have security loop holes that allow the Professional Thief’s to bypass the lock screen pass code is set?

It is safe to release this information, as updates are available to fix this issue. It just owners need know, if they are not able to update their phones regular if they are venerable.

4.1 If venerability exists, what is accessible once by passed (Change Pass Code, Contact, SMS, Phone, Phone Answers, Notes, Most Apps, All Apps)

Jail Braking:

This is important when it comes to stolen phones and data security.

As it the phones SIM is remove then it cannot connect to the Internet and any local WiFi can be secured to stop the stolen phone from connecting. Thus Find My Phone cannot locate or wipe the phone. So in this situation how safe is the data on the phone.

6. Is it possible to Jail Break some phone model and operating system versions if the lock screen and passcode is set?

6.1 Which phone model and operating system versions allow this?

6.2 If an iPhone is Jail Broken will the data remain intact?

• Thus once Jail Broken all the information can be accessed.
  • Yes Jail Breaking Only Hacks The Operating System
  • No The Process of Jail Breaking Wipes All The Data in the process of jail breaking

Stolen Phone Reuse:

7. Is it possible to wipe some phone model and operating system versions, if the lock screen and passcode is set?

7.1 Which phone model and operating system versions allow this?

7.2 If a phone is wiped can a user attach the phone to another Apple Account?

Keeping Up to Date:

This sis more for It departments

8. Is there are regularly updated list that Model and OS version and the exploit available with OS release dates.

This way it will allow people do know:

• The version of the OS has been around for x days and is still safe so I feel comfortable or IT department decide updating now is OK.
• An exploit has become available for a partuilar phone model and operating system version so should either update or roll back to a safe version.

8.1 Is it passable to roll back to a previous version of the phone to a Operating System

8.2 Is there an Alert email service that can be subscribed to advising the public of security issues as they become know. Also of fixes (updates) that become available?