Following the release of a series of videos on YouTube by The Wall Street Journal, which demonstrated the susceptibility of our iPhones to theft and hacking, a growing number of individuals have been urging Apple to confront the specific issues and vulnerabilities highlighted in the report. And with that in mind, Apple has finally decided to handle some of the issues highlighted by the Wall Street Journal with their Latest IOS Update.
Next week, iOS 17.3 is anticipated to launch with a new security feature from Apple called Stolen Device Protection, which will make it much more difficult for potential phone thieves to obtain your Apple ID and any financial information that may be stored on the device. A lock screen passcode is sufficient to access or modify private and financial information.
However, with the upgrade, criminals would also need to use Face ID or Touch ID, and they could have to wait up to an hour to make some changes. Apple has been testing this feature in the 17.3 beta since December, though it hasn’t said when it will launch.
A February 2023 Wall Street Journal story revealed a critical weakness addressed by the new security feature: Thieves may simply lock their victims out of their Apple IDs by learning the passcode for the iPhone’s lock screen, which can be used to reset the password.
What are the upcoming security features going to include?
You will need to use Face ID or Touch ID to access your iCloud Keychain, apply for a new Apple Card, and wipe the phone completely if you choose to activate Stolen Device Protection. Additionally, you must wait an hour after authenticating with your face or fingerprint before re-authenticating using Face ID or Touch ID to make changes like changing your Apple ID password, adding another face or fingerprint for biometric authentication, or disabling Find My, unless you’re at a frequently visited location like home or work, where there won’t be a delay.
The Verge reports that iOS 17.3 will also include a new Unity Bloom wallpaper designed to go with Apple’s newest Black Unity Collection watchbands, as well as a new Collaborative Playlists feature that allows multiple people to edit an Apple Music playlist and react to songs with animated emoji.
Conclusion
Although Apple has made significant progress with its latest update, it still falls short of meeting the necessary standards to effectively safeguard its customers from malicious actors worldwide. However, this is still a step in the right direction, and I do not doubt that Apple will provide a more comprehensive protection package for its users with further updates.
However, there is a growing concern amongst several iPhone users that Apple may see this issue as a chance to monetize phone protections by asking customers to pay for a monthly subscription package for better protection and security software.
News Sources: The Wall Street Journal and The Verge.