Many Apple users praise their devices for strong security. The company recently shared an interesting fact. They stated, “there has never been a successful and widespread malware attack against the iPhone.”
This claim stands out in a world full of data breaches and scams. Many tech brands struggle with attacks on their devices. Apple proudly highlights its clean record in a recent online post. This article explores how Apple keeps its devices safe.
The company admits a different kind of threat. They wrote, “the only iOS system-level attacks we observe in practice come from mercenary spyware.” This type of attack is far more complex than typical online crime or common malware. This specific spyware is often linked to governments. It uses expensive attack methods that can cost millions of dollars. These methods target only a small number of specific people and their devices.
Apple recognizes that most users will never face such an attack. Yet, these methods show the most advanced and difficult threats out there. “While the vast majority of users are never targeted by this type of attack, these exploitation chains demonstrate some of the most expensive, complex, and advanced offensive capabilities at any given time, and deserve unique study as we work to protect iPhone users from the most sophisticated threats,” Apple said.
There’s a common thread among these powerful spyware attacks. Whether they target iOS, Windows, or Android, they all use weaknesses in memory security. These flaws are powerful, interchangeable, and found across the tech industry.
Despite these challenges, Apple believes its apps, services, and devices offer better privacy. They claim to outperform rival products from Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and other big tech companies.
Apple Boosts iPhone Security
Even with iOS offering good security, Apple is making its software even stronger. They are adding “always-on memory security protection” to the upcoming iPhone 17 line and the iPhone Air.
This new system is called Memory Integrity Enforcement, or MIE. It’s built into the hardware to fight advanced mercenary spyware. MIE protects against weaknesses where memory can be corrupted. Apple says MIE is the first protection system of its kind. It covers many key areas where attacks can happen. This includes the core operating system, known as the kernel, and more than 70 user-level processes.
Apple has tested MIE for three years against tough spyware attacks. They found that this system will make attack methods much harder and more expensive to create. This will lower the chance of successful attacks. The company also stated it has a way to disrupt common attack methods of the 21st century. It limits how attackers can use memory corruption flaws in iPhones.
This information comes from a recent publication by Apple, which can be found at security.apple.com/blog/memory-integrity-enforcement/.