Hackers Threaten To Wipe Millions of iPhones and Delete Email Data If Apple Does Not Pay Ransom

A group of hackers claim that they will wipe millions of iPhones, delete the data from millions of iCloud and other Apple email accounts, if Apple doesn't pay them a ransom. The group, which calls themselve "Turkish Crime Family," said they will reset iCloud accounts and remotely wipe Apple devices on April 7, for the approximately 500 million Apple accounts they said they have illegally gained access to, unless they are paid by Apple.

But, Apple said:

“There have not been any breaches in any of Apple's systems including iCloud and Apple ID. The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to have been obtained from previously compromised third-party services.
We're actively monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts and are working with law enforcement to identify the criminals involved. To protect against these type of attacks, we always recommend that users always use strong passwords, not use those same passwords across sites and turn on two-factor authentication.”

Since, it is hard to tell if the hackers truly have access to the approximately 500 million Apple accounts, all Apple users should change their passwords immediately. It is also strongly recommended that Apple users enable Two-Step Authentication or Two-Factor Authentication on their accounts. Two-Factor authentication is an extra layer of security for Apple ID designed to ensure that an Apple user is the only person who can access his/her account, even if someone else knows his/her password.

Apple users can click here for instructions for enabling Two-Step Authentication or Two-Factor Authentication.