One of the most beautiful and important things Apple made to fight smartphone anti-theft is a new security feature called Activation Lock.. Today one of Apple’s biggest antagonist regarding smartphone theft says that he’s pretty happy with the improved security features of iOS 7.
“Clear improvements” have been made in future technologies aimed at deterring thieves from stealing smartphones, District Attorney George Gascón said Friday.
Last week, representatives from Apple and Samsung brought anti-theft technology they are developing to the District Attorney’s Office for review by technical experts.
Apple’s Activation Lock and Samsung’s Lojack for Android were tested during a Thursday meeting. Gascón said he could not discuss the technologies that were examined, as the products are not finalized, but he did say Apple told him it’s planning to release anti-theft technology in the fall.
“I’m very optimistic that they came and were willing to share their technology with us,” Gascón said, adding that Microsoft and Google have yet to come forward with anti-theft solutions.
If thieves don’t find a way around Activation Lock, it could cut back on smartphone theft, which is what Gacón and NY’s Attorney General have been pushing for months. Activation Lock in iOS 7 functions as an essential kill switch when activated. An iPhone under Activation Lock can only be reactivated by entering the Apple ID and password of the account it is originally synced to, even if a thief tries to wipe it.
Last month, Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched the Secure Our Smartphones initiative, which called for the development of kill switches that would remotely disable smartphones in the event of theft.
The technology presented Thursday shows that the question is no longer whether the technology exists but when it will be available to the public, according to Gascón’s office.
So what do you think ?
