With hackers feasting on the iPhone, Apple appears to be looking for a new sheriff. The Cupertino, Calif. company is advertising for an “iPhone Security Manager” passionate about understanding security exploits. The move may be aimed at the latest round of jailbreak software released on the Internet.
Appearing Oct. 16 on Apple’s Web site, the ad seeks “a very technical and hands-on leader, someone with a passion for understanding security exploits and coming up with innovative methods to create secure platforms.” The chief goal for the new security chief: to “set the roadmap for the iPhone OS platform security.”
Since it’s introduction in 2007, the iPhone has been a target of hackers seeking to allow handset owners to “jailbreak” the phone, permitting non-Apple approved applications. Recently, a young hacker released a new jailbreak for iPhone OS 3.12. George Holtz created blackra1n, a one-click jailbreak. Holtz earlier released the first jailbreak for the iPhone 3GS and two years ago offered the jailbreak for the original iPhone.
Earlier this week a hacker from Netherlands asked for $7 for each jailbroken iPhone he accessed due to weak security. Before apologizing on his Web site, the hacker left the text message: “Your iPhone’s been hacked because it’s really insecure!” and asked victims to send $7 to a PayPal account.
In another iPhone security concern, a California man was charged with spying on iPhone users after the state alleged his iPhone applications secretly collected phone numbers.
[Via AppleInsider, CNet and MacNN]
