Lost iPhone 4S investigation leads to Apple security chief resignation?

2011 has been a year of mixed feelings for Apple. While sales have been booming, many long-term employees and partners have decided to leave the company. The most recent is John Theriault, Apple’s chief of security following the investigation of an iPhone 4S lost earlier this year, reports 9 to 5 Mac.

Remember back when iPhone 4S rumors started surfacing online, back in July? Now, it seems there was, after all, credibility attached to those rumors. 

Although Apple declined to confirm anything back then, the whole story is out now. In July this year, an Apple employee lost a prototype of the iPhone 4S, which was to be released 3 months later. This prototype had everything that an iPhone 4S had, whether it is the Siri voice assistant, the dual-core A5 processor or be the improved 8-megapixel camera.

But, Apple was able to retrieve the iPhone by visiting the home of the founder and making cash offering in exchange for the phone. Strangely enough, Apple officials posed as police officers in search of the phone.

But the break in security and ensuing investigation is said to have cost Theriault his job. Theriault joined Apple in the position of Vice-President, Global security after handling the same position at Pfizer. He was also a special agent and a senior service executive with the FBI.

Ignoring the iPhone 4S debacle, Theriault had been quite a success at Apple. He used to manage all of Apple’s security operations and was also the leader of an anti-counterfeit team, which was constituted against counterfeit Apple products in China. The resignation announcement comes just a day after the V.P. Retail at Apple; Ron Jonson departed Apple to take up the CEO’s job at J.C.Penney.