iCloud

Apple is facing a new security threat, thanks to developments in the spyware/surveillance tool sold by the Israeli firm NSO Group. Via the Financial Times, the Pegasus phone software now not only harvests data from the user’s onboard storage, but also all communications with the connected cloud.

The vulnerability purportedly affects the iPhone and Apple’s iCloud as well as Google Android phones, and even third-party apps installed on the phone that communicate over “encrypted and secure” connections.

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Microsoft has found Office 365 banned from use in at least some German schools due to privacy concerns over the way its cloud service works.

Privacy regulators have also ruled out the use of either Google Docs or Apple’s iWork suite for the same reason …

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Back when Steve Jobs unveiled iCloud in 2011, we were pitched a vision of data being available everywhere. Jobs pitched demoting the Mac and moving the digital hub into the cloud. All of our devices had connectivity built-in, so data should be available everywhere. The problem was it didn’t cover all of our photos. We didn’t get that until iCloud Photos came in iOS 8. It didn’t cover iMessage, as that didn’t come until a few years ago. It didn’t cover all of our files, but only those in the iCloud folder stored inside of app folders. We didn’t get seamless syncing of files until Apple added Desktop and Document folder syncing.

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In a post on the Windows blog, Apple and Microsoft today announced the availability of a new iCloud for Windows application. The new application is available in the Microsoft Store and allows users to access iCloud features such as iCloud Drive, Photos, and more.

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A major Google Cloud outage this afternoon has brought down numerous websites and services, including many of Google’s own products and platforms like Snapchat and Discord. Apple is also affected by the outage, according to its System Status webpage.

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I’ve said on many occasions that the ecosystem is one of Apple’s greatest strengths. Being able to start writing something in my office on my Mac and then continue it in a coffee shop on my iPad, for example. That should Just Work. We shouldn’t need to actively force an iCloud sync.

But, as I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion, that isn’t always the case …

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While Apple and Amazon are often viewed as competitors, they also share an important partnership when it comes to cloud services. Amazon Web Services (AWS) are used to power Apple’s services including iCloud and its monthly payments to the retail giant are now said to be more than $30 million.

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Following the latest Windows 10 October 2018 update, users of iCloud for Windows are facing compatibility issues. As highlighted by Windows Latest, the latest version of Windows 10 is incompatible with the latest version of iCloud, but Microsoft and Apple are said to be working together to resolve those issues.

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A fifth person has come forward to plead guilty to his role in gaining unauthorized access to celebrity iCloud accounts in 2014’s ‘Celebgate’. As reported by The Mercury News, Christopher Brannan today admitted that he accessed over 200 iCloud, Facebook, and Yahoo accounts, and downloaded personal pictures and videos from those accounts.

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Another hacker involved in the 2014 iCloud hack that exposed a number of intimate celebrity photos has been sentenced to prison. As reported by The Guardian, Connecticut resident George Garofano was sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in the hack…

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