Australians warned over iPhone virus

November 12, 2009 05:18 pm | Updated 06:09 pm IST - Sydney

Computer experts interviewed on radio warned that a variant of the so-called Rickrolling worm could allow hackers to pilfer confidential data like contact lists and internet bookmarks. File Photo: Sang Tan

Computer experts interviewed on radio warned that a variant of the so-called Rickrolling worm could allow hackers to pilfer confidential data like contact lists and internet bookmarks. File Photo: Sang Tan

Australians were warned on Thursday that a harmless worm, affecting iPhones, could prompt hackers to steal data.

Last week, Australian software whiz Ashley Towns, released a worm that installs on the iPhone wallpaper a photograph of 1980s pop singer, Rick Astley.

The 21-year-old said it was a bit of fun and to remind the small number of iPhone users that leave their devices unprotected by pass codes that they are vulnerable to hacking.

Computer experts interviewed on radio warned that a variant of the so-called Rickrolling worm could allow hackers to pilfer confidential data like contact lists and internet bookmarks.

Computerworld magazine also warned owners of Apple mobile phones who have “jail-broken” their devices so they can install unauthorized software that they have effectively torn down their own phone’s security system.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.