5 important iPhone security features you should know

While iOS 16 has a sleek, redesigned lock screen, beneath it, the latest operating system has a host of new security and privacy features designed to help protect you and your data. Here are five new features to better protect your iPhone from hackers and give you more peace of mind.

Quick Security Response

iOS as well as macOS and iPadOS now allow automatic "Quick Security Response". This allows Apple to quickly patch software (i.e. zero-day or other critical vulnerabilities) and ship it to millions of devices without requiring a reboot or any end-user interaction.

This is in "Settings" > "General" > "Software Update" > "# Available under ##Automatic Updates

Interestingly, even with this feature turned off, Apple says "some system files" can still update automatically in the background.

Lockdown Mode

Lockdown Mode was originally a feature created to deal with spyware such as NSO’s Pegasus, and can provide security for networks that may face highly complex An extreme level of additional protection is provided to device owners at risk of attack, such as journalists, politicians, activists, and government officials. It works by limiting the most commonly abused device functions, such as messaging and web browsing, making it harder for malware to penetrate.

Or, as Apple explains, Lockdown Mode is used to "reduce the attack surface that can be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware, with certain apps, websites, and features subject to tight security restrictions... ”

Most people will never be the target of an attack of this nature, but if you want to give it a try:

Settings>Privacy and Security> Lock mode, thenturn on lock mode.

Passwords

For those unfamiliar, Passkeys is a new authentication method implemented in iOS 16 to replace the need for passwords. The feature - launched in partnership with Apple, Google and Microsoft - is based on the FIDO standard.

Setup is very simple. Users who want to register via a website or app using a key will be prompted to register for an account as usual (this process has not changed). Next, a window will appear asking to save the password. When users return to this website or app to log in, they can choose their password and authenticate using Face ID or Touch ID. No username, password or other authentication is required.

Passwords on macOS Ventura.

Credits: Apple

The key works on all Apple devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura. Any keys created on one operating system are synced across the same user's devices via iCloud Keychain. Additionally, both local keys and keys exchanged with iCloud are end-to-end encrypted and therefore unreadable.

While the availability of this feature is still limited, it is a valuable tool that can make it more difficult for attackers to compromise accounts.

Protect and Encrypt Notes

While the ability to lock or “protect” notes created in the Notes app isn’t all that new, it’s worth noting is the existence of this function. Secure notes are end-to-end encrypted and can be viewed using a user-supplied passphrase or simply authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID.

There's more than one way to protect a note, but the quickest way is to

hold it from within a folder, click Lock Note, and that's it.

Apple on how it encrypts secure notes:

"When a user secures a note, a 16-byte key is derived from the user's password using PBKDF2 and SHA256. The note and all its attachments Both use AES encryption with Galois/Counter Mode (AES-GCM)."

AES-GCM is a secure cipher that provides higher data integrity from a cryptographic perspective performance, and slightly faster than similar encryption modes such as CBC. While it would technically take billions of years to break this type of encryption using current computing technology, it's important to note that no system is completely secure.

Security Check

Another great new security feature in iOS 16 is Security Checkup. Designed for people experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse, this new tool allows users to check who they share information with, restrict any messages and FaceTime, reset system privacy permissions, change any passwords associated with their iPhone or Apple ID, and more Etc.

Here’s how Apple describes iPhone Security Checkup:

“If your personal safety is threatened, you can use Security Checkup on your iPhone (running iOS 16 or later) to quickly stop sharing your information, or to review and update sharing with people and apps."

Ultimately, this feature can act almost like a panic button if you find yourself in a situation where you want to cut off access entirely. Use the same. You can find it by going to "Settings" > "Privacy & Security" > "SecurityCheck"

As our devices become As it becomes more and more indispensable, it becomes more and more important to keep our data and privacy secure. Even if you're not interested in all of iOS 16's new security-focused features, it's important to keep updating to the latest iOS versions, which will likely add critical patches for security vulnerabilities and remove bugs that help improve your experience.

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