Entrepreneurs Using Apple Devices: What is Happening to Your Apple ID?

Another wave of privacy issues hit the media the other day. What is the FBI doing with your Apple ID? Was your device ID leaked on the web? Why is Apple allowing people's online identities to be available? And most of all, how can entrepreneurs protect their intellectual edge?

Is Apple Giving Away Access to Your Accounts?

An FBI laptop was recently hacked which contained over 12 million Apple device IDs (UDID) as well as corresponding addresses, cell phone numbers, and user names. One million of which has already been made public on the web and the rest could soon follow. Ironically the laptop belonged to the supervisor of a regional cybercrime unit. While the leak of users information is concerning enough, the real question raised is what the FBI is doing with all of this information and how did they get it?

For entrepreneurs this is a big wake up call. The cloud may serve as a priceless tool for launching new startups on a budget and Apple's devices may make a dream lifestyle of doing business on the go a reality but unless the proper protections are in place it can all be lost in a moment. So take the time to set up multiple backups. For example, use iCloud and Google Drive as well as a local copy, always use strong unique passwords for each individual account with two step verification methods, and utilize the best in toll free number service for a business phone number which can instantly be re-routed to a back up line if anything like this ever happens.

How this will affect the September 12th roll out of the new iPhone 5 and mini iPad we'll have to see. However, we already know leaks have resulted in third party companies already designing and beginning to ship iPhone 5 accessories for the new iPhone even before its final specs are made public.