Zift Advisory
Cydia is a “rogue” version of the App Store, with apps for jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad to allow the installation of unapproved apps. This app functions as a mobile package management app letting users find software packages from independent developers and acting as a digital distribution portal. Cydia may be safe for mature teens if they understand the risks.
What is Cydia by MRMAD?
Cydia is a special, “rogue” version of the Apple App Store, with apps for jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad to allow the installation of unapproved apps. This opens your device up to use a much wider range of software from independent developers, but is not without its risks.
Jailbreaking is the act of altering an iPhone or iPad to remove a number of hard-coded restrictions on which apps can be installed on your device, and what those apps can do. Without these modifications, Apple devices can only install apps or software directly approved by Apple. A jailbroken device can use software from anywhere, developed by anyone, the way you can with Android devices or non-Apple computers.
Jailbreaking is legal in the US, though it may void your warranty. The US Copyright Office excepted the act of jailbreaking your iPhone from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 2010. The legal situation is less clear for iPads, however, and users jailbreak those devices at there own risk.
The Cydia app functions as a mobile package management app for iOS which lets users find and install software packages from independent developers, while also acting as a digital distribution portal for those developers. Most of the software you'll find here is free, but some are commercial products like you'd find anywhere else.
Is Cydia by MRMAD safe for my kids?
This app is not safe for kids to use because not all the software you'll find on Cydia is safe to download or install. Stepping outside of Apple's closely-guarded ecosystem leaves you more vulnerable to malware and trojan horse attacks.
When a user choose to jailbreak their phone, “tweaks” are made to your programs which adjust or add functionality to your device in unsanctioned ways. They often leave backdoors open which can be exploited to gain access to your device. This is not always deliberate, but rather a consequence of avoiding Apple's notoriously particular programming quality standards.
In one highly-publicized event, over a quarter of a million jailbroken devices were left open to malware attacks via backdoors in such tweaks, leading to a massive theft of iCloud login information from affected users. The malware responsible, a program called KeyRaider, originated in China and spread to users in over eighteen countries. Compromised accounts were used to make fraudulent in-app purchases on a massive scale.
If your teen is willing to replace any device damaged or broken as a result of jailbreaking the device or installing non-vetted software, the process of jailbreaking their device and “going under the hood” can be invaluable. Cracking open devices to see how they really work is an invaluable part of every developer's education.
Cydia may be safe for mature teens if they understand the risks and maintain separate Apple credentials for their experimental device until they learn enough to assume responsibility for maintaining its security to levels comparable to an unaltered device.
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