UPDATED 00:47 EDT / MARCH 09 2017

INFRA

Tech companies deliver mixed responses to Wikileaks CIA hacking revelations

Major tech companies including Google Inc., Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. have responded to revelations from Wikileaks that the Central Intelligence Agency had managed to hack devices they produce.

Apple led the charge, claiming that the many of the iOS vulnerabilities exploited by the CIA to hack iPhones had already been patched. Nonetheless, it said it would continue work to rapidly address any additionally identified vulnerabilities and urge customers to download the latest iOS to make sure they have the most recent security updates.

Samsung, the largest maker of Android phones as well as a seller of smart television sets that were named in the CIA documents as being exploited, was less positive than Apple, saying, “Protecting consumers’ privacy and the security of our devices is a top priority at Samsung,” and that it was “aware of the report in question and are urgently looking into the matter.”

Google followed a similar tack, claiming that its had fixed many of the vulnerabilities in its Chrome and Android platforms identified in the WikiLeaks dump and was “confident that security updates and protections in both Chrome and Android already shield users from many of these alleged vulnerabilities.”

Microsoft said only that it was aware of the report and was looking into it. LG Electronics Inc., which like Samsung also makes smart televisions that were targeted by the CIA, took a more conciliatory approach, saying that it was willing to work with others to solve the security issues raised in the revelations.

“Digital privacy isn’t just an LG concern, it’s an industry-wide issue that needs to be tackled by everyone who has a stake in the system, which is why we are completely committed to working with other industry players to make sure that consumers are protected to the fullest extent that today’s technology will allow,” the company said in a statement reported by CNET.

Image: Pixabay

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