iPad Security Hole

This list of government emails is why the Department of Defense does not usually implement bleeding edge information technologies into operational environments. These DoD emails were taken from an iPad prototype and lists early adopters of the system. The iPad and AT&T had a gapping security hole dealing with Safari. The vulnerability allowed gray hat hackers the ability to harvest the e-mail addresses that iPad 3G buyers provided to activate their device.

My job as the resident “security guy” places me at the butt of jokes that serve as the passive aggressive means of venting the frustration that my co-workers feel about the strict military and DoD policies. Security is almost never appreciated until an information system’s security is broken or breached. And even then solutions only come after blame and public humiliation.

Why did so many important government figures decide to risk using the new iPad without proper military grade testing and scrutiny is the biggest question. I would expect a start up in Silicon Valley to grab an iPad the first day it comes out but not U.S. military organization in the middle of two wars.

more here:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/09/technology/iPad_email_breach/index.htm?postversion=2010061009
http://gawker.com/5559346/apples-worst-security-breach-114000-ipad-owners-exposed