UPDATE 4:00 PM EST
Apple has released a statement confirming that iCloud was not breached in the celebrity photo hack.
“We wanted to provide an update to our investigation into the theft of photos of certain celebrities. When we learned of the theft, we were outraged and immediately mobilized Apple’s engineers to discover the source. Our customers’ privacy and security are of utmost importance to us,” the statement read. “After more than 40 hours of investigation, we have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet. None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple’s systems including iCloud® or Find my iPhone. We are continuing to work with law enforcement to help identify the criminals involved.”
SOURCE: MarketWatch
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In response to nude celebrity photos that were leaked Sunday on numerous social media sites, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a statement saying they are “addressing the matter.”
The probe was prompted after a hacker made nude photos of Hollywood stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, and Kate Upton available on 4chan, Reddit, Twitter, and Tumblr.
“The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said Monday. “Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time.”
Apple is also looking into the leak to determine whether its iCloud system was hacked, allowing access to the photos. Many celebrities and cyber experts are pointing their finger toward iCloud as a possible gateway.
From CNN:
Apple confirmed to CNN Monday that it is looking into reports that its popular iCloud online data backup service may have been compromised by the hackers.
“We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report,” Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said.
Dunst took to Twitter to express her frustration with a possible flaw in Apple’s “Find My Phone” app that may have opened access to celebrities’ data stored in iCloud.
Thank you iCloud🍕💩
— Kirsten Dunst (@kirstendunst) September 1, 2014
The FBI may be mum on information regarding the leak at this time, but celebrities aren’t taking the violation lying down.
Kate Upton’s lawyer confirmed photos of the model-actress were among those leaked, calling it “an outrageous violation” of her privacy. “We intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible,” attorney Lawrence Shire said.
Lawrence’s publicist said “authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.”
We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
SOURCE: CNN | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
