Apple holds internal seminar on stopping leaks. It leaked

Anyone who has visited Apple knows how important secrecy is to the world's most highly valued company. Projects sit on work tables and benches, and are draped with material that prevents visitors or unauthorized employees from taking a gander on what Apple is working on. Recently, Apple held an internal meeting about leaks that lasted about 60-minutes. The talk was called "Stopping Leakers - Keeping Confidential at Apple."

The discussion was led by a trio of employees from Apple's Global Security division. Attending was the director of Global Security, David Rice. Also present was Lee Freedman, Apple's director of worldwide investigations, and Jenny Hubbert from the Global Security communications and training team. The most interesting thing about the seminar is...it leaked!

A leaked recording of the seminar was published today and revealed how Apple wants to halt the flow of information to competitors, counterfeiters and yes, the press. During the seminar, Apple employees are quoted about how much they despise leaks and how those leaking information let all company employees down. There is even talk about how much CEO Tim Cook hates leaks.

Some of the presentation is directed at the supply chain, which is the source of many leaks. Stolen parts from the Apple iPhone 5, and pictures of them, came from factories in China. But Apple plugged those leaks to the point that "more stuff came out of Apple [campuses] last year than all of our supply chain combined," according to Global Security director Rice. Part of the problem is that factor workers on the line, who make the equivalent of $350 a month, are getting bribed with as much as three months salary to turn over information. The biggest bribes go to those sneaking out the housing of an upcoming device. Some will even flush the parts down the toilet and retrieve it later in the sewer system.

2013 was a particularly bad year for Apple when it came to leaks. You might recall how that summer, there were many images of the Apple iPhone 5c's outer shell, in various colors. Apple bought back 19,000 iPhone 5c casings before the unveiling, but several did manage to get published prior to the handset's official introduction.


Despite the improvements in containing supply chain leaks, it will be hard for Apple to shut it down completely. But things are truly improving. In 2014, 387 enclosures were stolen, dropping off to 57 the next year, and only 4 the year after that (which was 2016).

While some of those turning over information to journalists are disgruntled employees, many work at Apple and are just so excited about a new product that they end up talking about it to the media without stopping to think about what they are doing. Do these leaks interfere with Apple's ability to coin money? Tim Cook thinks so. The company's CEO says some potential Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus buyers are putting off purchases of  the two current models after hearing the leaked specs for the 10th anniversary iPhone. That handset, expected to be unveiled as soon as September, will reportedly include an edge-to-edge screen, embedded Touch ID button, AR capabilities, wireless charging, and an OLED display.

source: TheOutline via TheVerge