FBI to Probe iPad Breach

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into a possible security breach of AT&T's website that exposed the email addresses of some owners of Apple iPad devices. A small group of computer experts that calls itself Goatse Security said it discovered the flaw, explaining that it was able to find the email addresses by guessing numbers that identify iPads connected to AT&T's mobile network. Escher Auernheimer, a member of the group, said the group hasn't heard from law enforcement and that it didn't do anything illegal. Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act generally prohibits unauthorized access to computers. The question is whether typing information into a public website is unauthorized, she said. Also, prosecutors will consider what individuals do with the data they obtain before deciding whether to bring charges. "If you do something fraudulent with the data then its much more likely that they will charge you," Granick said.

On June 10, the Federal Communications Commission issued a statement noting that such events "violate consumer privacy" and "undermine trust in America's communications infrastructure."