iPhone emergency flaw to be fixed

The back door, which overrides password security on a PIN locked handset, allows access to URLs, mail addresses and phone numbers.

Apple rep Jennifer Bowcock told the web site that the gaffe, which she describes as a "minor iPhone security issue" and which allows unauthorised access to sensitive data simply by pressing the emergency call button on the locked phone's touch screen, followed by a double tap on the 'home' button, would be fixed in the next security update "in September".

Until the software update is released you can protect your data by setting the phone so that double clicking the 'home' button takes you to the home screen rather than the default 'favourites' page.