3

I recently had my iPad stolen. I immediately marked it as lost in case it ever connected to the internet again (it is cellular enabled, so there is a favorably good chance). I clicked "erase iPad" but stopped when the prompt said "An erased iPad cannot be located or tracked any longer."

I began to wonder: how secure is my iPad's data? Is there any risk that the device may be hacked and its contents exposed? Passwords, credit cards, emails, etc.?

A simple google search found that iPads are very secure by virtue of the passcode (https://www.macworld.com/article/1160313/iPad_security.html). So, if left unerased, what risk remains? Certainly, I want to be able to track the iPad if it does ever come back online. But by not opting to erase the iPad, am I leaving myself potentially exposed?

enter image description here

Improve this question
2
  • Story update: the ipad was, indeed, found. The iPad was turned on with SIM card still in it -> cellular connection triggered lost mode -> device was deposited into an ecoATM -> ecoATM initiated the process to re-unite the device with its owner. So, +1 for Apple's security mechanisms.
    – ryvantage
    Mar 21, 2020 at 18:49
  • Without a SIM card, "Find My" is nearly useless. Until it gets online, you can only find where it WAS when last online. And it can only get online if it gets in range of a WiFi access point that it remembers. (Unless you have no unlock code, in which case the finder would be able to intentionally put it online. Which a thief would not do unless stupid.)
    – WGroleau
    Nov 28, 2022 at 20:23

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

In short, you erase it if - & only if - the data on it would be more costly to lose than the price of a new iDevice. Some businesses consider their data to be worth far more to a 'spy' than the device itself.

If you're a 'regular guy' your best bet would probably be to leave it locked & registered actively with FindMy, just in case it ever shows up again. To all intents & purposes, any other 'regular guy' who took it now owns a very shiny brick.

If you're an international terrorist, business owner with a new patent, scientist with the formula to a cure for the common cold, or a government employee with national secrets on there - then you may consider total deletion a better bet - just in case another business/government agency considers it worth half a million bucks to hack into it.

iDevices are very secure - but nothing is impenetrable.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    It may be as simple as company policy because the insurance policy they have to indemnify against data theft requires that devices be erased and the policy implemented company wide to ensure coverage. But...yes to all of this in this answer.
    – Allan
    Feb 3, 2020 at 19:06
  • If you are "a government employee with national secrets on there," you'd better erase it lest you face prosecution for improper handling of classified material. Don't know whether a certain person in the news will get away with it, but unlikely most of us would.
    – WGroleau
    Nov 28, 2022 at 20:22

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .