iTunes Hacked, Apple Responds

In this age of identity theft and fraudulent credit card charges, it only makes sense that iTunes would become a prime target for purveyors of this kind of crime . . . Over the weekend, something strange (and presumably large-scale) began happening in the “books” category of the iTunes App Store. A Vietnamese developer named Thuat Nguyen managed to claim about 40 of the top 50 slots. And apparently it wasn’t the low-grade Japanese manga content that earned the developer such a prominent position. The apps themselves are being called “junk” or “crapware,” and the publisher’s name, “mycompany,” doesn’t inspire confidence.

Indeed, there’s no doubt that the case of Thuat Nguyen is tied to the many security and fraud problems surfacing all around iTunes. The instigators have varying goals: Some developers are using illegal tactics to boost their sales rankings, while hackers are reportedly accessing user accounts to make purchases for their “customers” at a discounted price. Whatever the case, iTunes users will likely start to question giving iTunes access to their credit cards, and developers submitting legitimate entries to the App Store will not take kindly to being pushed off the top of the charts by “crapware.”

The App Store’s reputation as a carefully culled marketplace is at stake.

So far Apple’s response has been swift, banning Nguyen from the App Store and removing all his content for violating the developer Program License Agreement. In regards to the other allegations about hacked accounts and stolen credit card information, it’s not surprising that Apple’s isn’t acknowledging anything straightaway. Instead, it took this opportunity to ensure users that developers don’t receive any confidential customer data at any point. They also reminded us that issues surrounding credit card numbers must be dealt with through our financial institutions. This further complicates the protection of the iTunes and App Store reputations, as there is little Apple can do if our cards are compromised and this becomes manifest through iTunes.

A lot remains to be revealed concerning this upsetting development. My advice? Change your iTunes password new, and ask questions later.

About the Author

Devin Wieland

 

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