FBI denies security breach, release of Apple UDIDs

WASHINGTON – The FBI is denying reports that a laptop was compromised and private data was exposed.

In a statement, the FBI says, “At this time, there is no evidence indicating that an FBI laptop was compromised or that the FBI either sought or obtained this data.”

Earlier Wednesday, the hacker group Anonymous had claimed to have released 1 million Apple device identifiers stolen from the FBI.

On their Twitter feed, AnonymousIRC says it’s exposed up to 1,000,001 unique device identifier numbers, or UDIDs, for Apple devices. UDIDs are the fingerprints that Apple, apps and ad networks use to identify the iPhones and iPads of individual users.

Anonymous says in a lengthy posting on the website Pastebin that they actually stole 12 million UDIDs from an FBI Dell laptop in March.

The Data Doctors list the easy steps to determine your Apple UDID:

  1. Plug your iPhone/iPad into your computer
  2. Load up iTunes
  3. Click on your device
  4. Click ‘Summary’
  5. Click on your serial number
  6. You should now see your UDID

WTOP’s J.J. Green contributed to this report.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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