Apple Security Chief 'retires' after lost iPhone 4S fiasco
John Theriault, Apple's head of security, has left the company on early retirement, possibly as a result of how the case of a lost iPhone 4S prototype was handled this summer, according to a new report.
Jon Paczkowski of AllThingsD confirmed on Friday recent rumors that Theriault had left the company.
His sources, however, disagreed with retirement as the reason for his departure. They instead put forth the bungling of the search for an iPhone 4S prototype this summer as the "real reason" for his leaving the company.
Theriault formerly served as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as Pfizer's security chief. While at Pfizer, Theriault led several successful campaigns to break up counterfeit Viagra production in Asia. He was reportedly brought to Apple to use his experience to help the company fight counterfeit versions of its products.
After an Apple employee reportedly left a next-generation prototype at the Cava22 bar in San Francisco this summer, the company's security officials contacted the local police department for help. Apple had tracked the device to a nearby residence, so plainclothes police offers accompanied staff members on a visit to the home and waited outside while they conducted a search.
Apple and the SFPD may face a lawsuit over the matter, as the resident claims that he was threatened by the police and was not informed that Apple's security officials were not actually officers.
Shortly after the incident, Apple posted two job listings for product security managers. The positions would be responsible for "overseeing the protection of, and managing risks to, Apple's unreleased products and related intellectual property."
The debacle was the second lost prototype incident in the past 18 months. Last year, an Apple engineer left a test iPhone 4 unit in a bar in Redwood City. The device was eventually sold to Gizmodo, which then leaked details of the prototype. That incident led to a falling out between then CEO Steve Jobs and the publication. Two suspects have since been charged with misdemeanor theft in connection to the incident.
Jon Paczkowski of AllThingsD confirmed on Friday recent rumors that Theriault had left the company.
His sources, however, disagreed with retirement as the reason for his departure. They instead put forth the bungling of the search for an iPhone 4S prototype this summer as the "real reason" for his leaving the company.
Theriault formerly served as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as Pfizer's security chief. While at Pfizer, Theriault led several successful campaigns to break up counterfeit Viagra production in Asia. He was reportedly brought to Apple to use his experience to help the company fight counterfeit versions of its products.
After an Apple employee reportedly left a next-generation prototype at the Cava22 bar in San Francisco this summer, the company's security officials contacted the local police department for help. Apple had tracked the device to a nearby residence, so plainclothes police offers accompanied staff members on a visit to the home and waited outside while they conducted a search.
Apple and the SFPD may face a lawsuit over the matter, as the resident claims that he was threatened by the police and was not informed that Apple's security officials were not actually officers.
Shortly after the incident, Apple posted two job listings for product security managers. The positions would be responsible for "overseeing the protection of, and managing risks to, Apple's unreleased products and related intellectual property."
The debacle was the second lost prototype incident in the past 18 months. Last year, an Apple engineer left a test iPhone 4 unit in a bar in Redwood City. The device was eventually sold to Gizmodo, which then leaked details of the prototype. That incident led to a falling out between then CEO Steve Jobs and the publication. Two suspects have since been charged with misdemeanor theft in connection to the incident.
Comments
Sorry but I can't really buy this one off the scant info that has been offered. No witnesses to what was said, no photos etc of said item ever showing up online, apparently waiting as much as 3 days before going to search for said item, the alleged employee profile on LinkedIn that was totally out of line with the service, etc etc. But my fav is the cameras that conveniently only take a photo every 3 minutes and only keep them for like 24 hours. So of course no one can prove the victim was at the bar, never mind any Apple employees that would have access to a prototype
The debacle was the second lost prototype incident in the past 18 months. Last year, an Apple engineer left a test iPhone 4 unit in a bar in Redwood City. The device was eventually sold to a website that leaked details of the prototype. That incident led to a falling out between then CEO Steve Jobs and the online publication. Two suspects have since been charged with misdemeanor theft in connection to the incident.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH.
IT WAS GIZMODO WHO LEAKED THE IPHONE 4 DETAILS.
GIZMODO.
THERE, I SAID IT.
Stop pussyfooting around this. It's not confidential data.
You guys are willing to publish the most farcical hallucinations from Digitimes, but aren't willing to name the online site that was involved in the iPhone 4 theft debacle?
That's downright cowardly.
Grow a pair. Look into the mirror and decide if you want to be any better than Jason Chen or Brian Lam. If the answer is "no," feel free to carry on. But don't expect to be differentiated from most other tech media sites.
The preceding message was brought to you by GIZMODO.
Yeap, these guys from Gizmodo can't stand others not giving them attention.
You guys are willing to publish the most farcical hallucinations from Digitimes, but aren't willing to name the online site that was involved in the iPhone 4 theft debacle?
If you re-read the article (or ever read it in the first place) you'd see that the guy's resignation is reportedly linking to the iPhone 4S debacle.
Not the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 4S.
Go back and re-read the story now. We'll wait right here for you. Take as much time as you need.
That's downright cowardly.
You think they are afraid of Gizmodo? There is a reason they didn't name them and it's about business not being cowardly.
scooped
Wow! You posted a link to an another article and you're proud of yourself. Reality Check: You copy and pasted with no effort to write an article on the subject or even state a well thought out opinion on the article. You get the coveted Christian Bale "Ohh, good for youuuu!" award.
My, aren't we in a pissy mood this morning? Sorry to see your morning's off to such a bad start. I hope your day improves.
Yes, both AppleInsider and I did no original reporting, and just regurgitated news posted elsewhere on the web.
The point to my post was merely that AI took an extra day to catch up to a great many other sites, not surprising given the nature of the story. They probably would have preferred to not cover it at all, but by the next day it became painfully obvious that it's newsworthy, so they finally got around to it.
For example, last month when Calderon hired an attorney I don't believe AI reported on that at all, despite fairly wide coverage elsewhere:
Apple may face suit over search for unreleased iPhone
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20...-iphone-scoop/
Apple?s Lost iPhone Prototype Search Leads to Attorney Questions
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/artic...ney_questions/
Attorney says Apple in talks with man whose home was searched for missing iPhone
http://www.appolicious.com/tech/arti...missing-iphone
The fact this was all over the iPhone4S and not an iPhone 5 makes it seem not worth it and an overboard reaction. The iPhone4 situation was different as the model was a complete overhaul and it took away much of the suspense leading up to the reveal. Everyone suspected the upgrades in the 4S and they were mainly just technical upgrades.
Yeah, it's not like billions of dollars of R&D and potential revenue has any worth or anything. Go ahead and be completely nonchalant about losing prototypes.
Apple fired him because he had some harsh ideas on security, even for Apple. He kept bugging Tim Cook to buy him a fleet of Predator drones. Too bad Cook did not let him waterboard the Gizmodo dorks.
It could potentially make Apple look like they are admitting guilt, as in this guy did something to get himself fired...