Apple employees are being assaulted with offers from hackers to give them login details to Apple’s internal servers, and they’re willing to pay a king’s ransom if you’ve got the right info.
In Ireland, employees have received offers of over $20,000 for their Apple ID login, but it appears that Apple is well aware of the problem and has launched a new program to combat the problem.
One Apple employee in Ireland told Business Insider that the hackers are looking to tempt junior management employees who aren’t trying to make a lifetime career out of their stay at Apple. Anyone who hasn’t been drinking the Apple kool-aid for years and doesn’t plan to be there much longer is liable to get approached via email to cash in on their info.
“You’d be surprised how many people get on to us, just random Apple employees,” the employee told BI. “You get emails offering you thousands [of euros] to get a password to get access to Apple. I could sell my Apple ID login information online for €20,000 (£15,000 / $23,000) tomorrow. That’s how much people are trying.”
To combat the lucrative offers, Apple has launched a scheme called “Grow Your Own.” No one really knows why it’s called Grow Your Own. Perhaps it’s a reference to testicular fortitude. Or maybe Apple’s really pushing employees to start their own home gardens?
Tapping into Apple’s internal systems could provide hackers with a trove of valuable information that could be used against Apple or sold to the highest bidder (like Samsung?). It’s unclear what information the hackers are trying to get their hands on though. Employees say that accessing Apple’s internal systems and offices is hard enough already even if you are an employee.
