Apple releases high-priority security patches

Apple has just updated all of its OSes. These updates include critical security patches for vulnerabilities that have been exploited in the wild.

Is Apple building a search engine?

The web is abuzz with rumors that Apple is poised to challenge Google’s search supremacy. In this short article, we’ll tell you why people think Cupertino may be building a search engine of its own, and say what it could mean for the future of privacy.

What are the analysts seeing?

According to a report published in The Financial Times, search marketing professionals have noted a significant uptick in Applebot activity. Applebot is Apple’s proprietary web crawler, a bot that browses the web for the purpose of indexing and ranking web pages …

5G iPhones and more at Apple’s October Event

Tuesday’s Apple Special Event introduced the iPhone 12 line and some cool new accessories as well. Here’s an overview of the new and upcoming product releases announced at the event:

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini

The look of the new iPhone is reminiscent of past models: flat sides and a boxier appearance overall.

Technically speaking, probably the biggest change is compatibility with 5G wireless networks, which are currently being rolled out around the world. The 5G standard has two basic flavors: sub-6 5G and millimeter wave 5G. Apple says that the new …

Apple updates iOS, macOS, and more

Apple has issued its initial round of updates to iOS 14, just a little over a week after the new mobile OS was first released to the public. In addition, there were updates to macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS as well.

New iPads, Apple Watches, and more at the Apple Special Event

Apple held a special event this week to introduce several new devices and features. Here are some of the highlights: 

Apple Watch Series 6

As expected, Apple used the special event to introduce the Apple Watch Series 6. Although a number of cosmetic and design changes were mentioned (including a new (PRODUCT)RED case, seamless watch bands, and more faces than ever before), the Apple Watch Series 6 was presented first and foremost as a next-gen health and wellness device.

The Apple Watch Series 6 has a number of new health features, but perhaps …

Highlights from the 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple’s 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference got underway on Monday with a livestreamed keynote address. The company announced major updates to its operating systems, apps, and hardware.

Apple releases new iPhone SE

Apple has just released the new iPhone SE after months of speculation and rumors, and will begin taking pre-orders for the compact and powerful new device on Friday, 17 April. The most affordable iPhone on the market, the iPhone SE starts at just $399 (USD) for an entry-level model. 

In what follows, we’ll give you an overview of the iPhone SE’s major features, including the implications for security and privacy.

Size, storage, pricing, exterior

The iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, making it almost identical to the iPhone 8 physically. 

The base …

Apple and Google Develop Covid-19 Contact Tracing Tool

Apple and Google have announced that they’re working together to create a Covid-19 contact tracing framework for mobile devices. In this piece, we’ll tell you what you need to know about this important new technology.

What is it?

The joint project is aimed at developing a Bluetooth-based contact tracing system that will alert iOS and Android users if they’ve come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19.

When will it be available?

The system is being deployed in two stages. In May, Apple and Google plan to release APIs (Application Programming …

Apple’s March 2020 Updates

Apple has just released a raft of updates, and some of them have important security and privacy implications. In this brief article, we’ll highlight some of the key points from Cupertino’s release notes and explain their significance. Then (in a sign of the times) we’ll offer a special addendum to our update guidance.

macOS 10.15.4

Version 10.15.4 of macOS patches a number of serious vulnerabilities. Related security patches were also issued to support older versions of the operating system; these were named Security Update 2020-002 Mojave and Security Update 2020-002 High Sierra.

One …

Apple Updates macOS, iOS, and more

Apple has released updated versions of its major operating systems, with some important bug fixes and security patches. In this brief article, we’ll take you through the highlights of the release notes and let you know what they mean.

Apple’s China Problem

In recent weeks, several high-profile US organizations have faced controversy due to their ties with China—and due to the actions which they took in order to preserve those ties.

iOS 13 security and privacy features

It’s official: iOS 13 is here, come friday. iPhone users will be able to try out all the new features announced at the WWDC keynote in June: Dark Mode, QuickPath swipe typing, a revamped Maps, and more.

In addition to all of this, iOS 13 also offers a number of security and privacy enhancements— some of which are already making waves. We’ll take you through the most important of these in the following article.

Location, location, location

iOS 13 will allow iPhone users increased control over how they share their location data—and …

Apple Re-Patches Bug That Led to a Public iOS Jailbreak

Over the last couple of weeks, both on the Checklist and on the news section of our site, we’ve been talking about the story of the big iOS jailbreak that was announced in August. This jailbreak was unusual in that it affected the most up-to-date version of iOS available—something we hadn’t seen in quite a while. 

Jailbreaking, as you’ll recall, is the process of removing Apple’s built-in safeguards and limitations on what users and software can do in iOS, essentially allowing them high-level administrative privileges that Apple never intended them to …

Apple announces new iPhones—and the next generation of Apple Watch

This Tuesday, Apple held its much-anticipated media event. Here are a few key takeaways from the big day.

New iPhones!

The big news on Tuesday was, as expected, the announcement of the next generation of iPhones.

Apple is rolling out three new models: the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The phones are priced at $699, $999, and $1099, respectively. The new devices will be available for pre-order on Friday and for purchase in Apple Stores by 20 September.

So what’s new? 

Not all that much (with a couple of important …

The Great iOS Jailbreak of 2019—and why you should update to 12.4.1 right

Apple has just released a patch to fix the issue discussed below. If you don’t have automatic updates enabled, take a second to update to iOS 12.4.1 now.

Apple AirDrop Vulnerability Broadcasts User Phone Numbers to Potential

iPhone users who frequently use the AirDrop feature to share images, videos, or other files may unwittingly be broadcasting their phone numbers to people nearby. According to a recent Ars Technica report, a hacker would need to have a laptop and a “wireless packet sniffer” dongle to exploit the vulnerability. Armed with those components, a security researcher testing the proof-of-concept software designed to exploit the vulnerability was able to see “details of more than a dozen iPhones and Apple Watches that were within radio range” and use this information to …

Checklist 151: Too Close for Security Comfort

This week on the Checklist podcast, we’ll talk about how to deal with security risks that come from those closest to you (literally). We’ll take you through some bad iOS news from the past week, and also discuss how it relates to a larger issue related to mobile security. And finally, we revisit a familiar topic—passwords—and tell you about some newly released Google research that probably means we’ll have to keep talking about passwords for the foreseeable future. Here’s our weekly Checklist:

Protecting your data from the people – literally – …

Sign in with Apple: Digital privacy at last?

At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced several forthcoming changes aimed at improving privacy and security for its users. Perhaps the most important of these was “Sign in with Apple”, slated for widespread release later this year.

In this post, we’ll talk about what Sign in with Apple is, why it matters…and whether or not it’s all it’s cracked up to be.

What is Sign in with Apple?

Many apps ask users to sign-in with a social media account, ostensibly in order to offer a more personalized experience. You’ve probably seen or …

Black Hat 2019: Apple’s $1 million prize, new vulnerabilities revealed, and a...

The 22nd annual Black Hat USA conference was held this week in Las Vegas. Black Hat is one of the most important events in cybersecurity, bringing together researchers, developers, and hackers from all over the world for a week of training sessions and briefings. As such, it’s often the stage for major announcements affecting security professionals as well as the general public.

This year’s Black Hat did not disappoint, and featured significant new developments that will interest both macOS and iOS users.

Read on for our roundup of Black Hat 2019…

The macOS …

Flaw in Bluetooth Protocols Could Allow Tracking of iPhone, MacBook Users

Bluetooth is one of the most common wireless protocols in the world, allowing a vast range of devices to connect together for shared functionality. From playing music in your car to controlling the temperature of your flatiron, Bluetooth enables us to do many things — and as a result, Bluetooth protocols are standard on iPhones, in MacBooks, and in many other products, too. According to a new study published by researchers from Boston University, though, almost all those devices currently contain a Bluetooth flaw that can erase a user’s privacy.

Bluetooth’s …