Apple Developer Website Taken Down After Hacker Attack

Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s developer site is unavailable for software engineers after a hacker tried to steal personal information, the company said.

Apple took the website, used by programmers who write applications for iPhones, Macs and other products, offline on July 18 in order to fix the issue, the company said in a statement posted on the Internet.

Developers who use the site for software downloads, documentation and engineering information could face delays in introducing their own products. Some of the information is encrypted and Apple hasn’t been able to rule out whether names, mailing addresses or e-mail addresses may have been accessed, the company said.

“In order to prevent a security threat like this from happening again, we’re completely overhauling our developer systems, updating our server software, and rebuilding our entire database,” Apple said in the statement. “We apologize for the significant inconvenience that our downtime has caused you and we expect to have the developer website up again soon.”

Apple said it would extend memberships for any users if their accounts were due to expire while the website is offline.

The Pentagon cleared Apple devices for use on its networks in May, approving the use of government-issued Apple products running a version of the iOS 6 mobile platform. Some Samsung Electronics Co. and BlackBerry products are also approved for for military sales.

The approval demonstrates Apple’s “ongoing commitment to deliver a secure platform to our enterprise and government customers,” the company said at the time.

Source : bloomberg