If you own an iPhone, you may want to back up your smartphone without using Apple’s iCloud service. Hackers calling themselves the “Turkish Crime Service” are threatening to destroy the data attached to over 500 million Apple users’ devices, including files listed on the Cloud, if the company does not pay a ransom of at least $75,000.
Motherboard reports the hackers have access to 559 million Apple accounts. That said, the claim is currently unverified even though a YouTube video reportedly demonstrates the hackers logging into one account. However, the “Turkish Crime Service” says they will remotely eliminate all of the data on April 7 if they do not receive the $75,000 in BitCoin or $100,000 in iTunes gift cards.
If Apple does decide to pay the ransom, the hackers claim they will delete their list of accounts. However, emails sent to Motherboard suggest Apple is not considering giving into the ransom.
“We do not reward cyber criminals for breaking the law,” Apple says in an email, according to a screenshot, which also shows Apple telling the hackers their messages will be delivered to the authorities.
Moreover, Motherboard reports the news outlet was given access to an email account the hackers claim to have used to communicate with Apple’s security team, but Motherboard was unable to confirm if the emails they received were legitimate. At this time Apple has not commented on the situation.