The stolen trove of nude celebrity pictures now circulating the internet has likely left Apple feeling vulnerable and exposed, too.
The company came under fire this weekend after compromising photos of Jennifer Lawrence and other stars surfaced, setting off broad speculation that their iCloud accounts had been hacked. Apple said in a statement issued Tuesday that the photos stemmed from a targeted attack on the stars, rather than a breach of the company s systems.
Regardless, the incident subjects Apple to an uncomfortable glare at a time when it is preparing to reenter the spotlight. The company is widely expected to introduce new products at an event on Sept. 9 at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino.
The timing seems almost malicious, said Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates.
With upcoming product launches, Apple is expected to move deeper into spaces like mobile payments and personal health. To pull that off, it is absolutely imperative for Apple to show users that they can trust the company with their data, said John Jackson, a research vice president at IDC.
Though the incident comes uncomfortably close to Apple s blockbuster event, the upside is that the company will soon have a chance to change the story, Jackson said.
They are going to be reentering the news on Sept. 9 in a big and very positive way, he said. If there s a silver lining to his iCloud story, it is that.
Apple is defending its systems after a trove of nude celebrity pictures surfaced (Apple/Getty).
