Apple thanks Saudi national for detecting security flaw

JEDDAH: Fatima Al-Harbi has attracted Saudi and global attention for discovering a security flaw in the most powerful security systems of Apple, Microsoft and Linux.

Apple thanked her and, on its website, included her name in a list of contributors to its system.

Al-Harbi, who was born and raised in Jeddah, is a PhD candidate at the computer science department of the University of California, Riverside.

“I’m also a lecturer at the College of Computer Science and Engineering at Taibah University, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia,” she told Arab News.

Al-Harbi holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in computer science from King Abdulaziz University and California State University, respectively.

She became interested in cybersecurity during her undergraduate studies. “I took a security course that was instructed by Prof. Omaimah Bamasak, who delivered the subject in a very interesting way,” Al-Harbi said.

“This influenced my decision to work in the field of cybersecurity, and specifically in information and network security.”

Speaking of her discovery of the security flaw, Al-Harbi said: “I contacted Apple, informed them about the vulnerability in the system, and shared with them all the technical details and code.”

She added: “The company contacted me immediately and informed me that they’ll release a new update for all Apple devices. They then asked for my permission to add my name to the recognition list. Of course, with pride, I agreed and thanked them for that.”

She said: “The problem I found enables any hacker to force the browser to visit a hacker-controlled site, making the victim believe it’s a safe site.”

She added: “The victim types his or her personal login information, which the hacker will input in his database to use and take advantage of later.”

Al-Harbi said she focuses on the detection and analysis of weaknesses or defects in security networks.

“I have a good understanding of computer systems, both their design and implementation, including operating systems, software, network protocols and their interactions. Recently, I’ve been passionate about building systems that will have a long-term impact,” she added.