Security experts are gearing up to conduct a government-sponsored exercise designed to determine if the latest anti-theft security features built into today’s leading smartphones (like Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S4) are doing their jobs.
Based on what we know as of this writing, the test in question will include the forthcoming Activation Lock feature that will be introduced via Apple’s iOS 7, due out this fall.
CNET reports that San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have secured the consulting services of several security experts from the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center to conduct the tests.
Conducting the tests means having these experts try to get past Apple and Samsung’s security systems.
“While we are appreciative of the efforts made by Apple and Samsung to improve security of the devices they sell, we are not going to take them at their word. Today we will assess the solutions they are proposing and see if they stand up to the tactics commonly employed by thieves,” Schneiderman and Gascón said in a prepared statement.
The results of the security analysis will be made public shortly.
