Apple introduces new iPhone security mode to protect against stolen passcodes
APPLE
Apple introduces new iPhone security mode to protect against stolen passcodes
Stolen Device Protection makes it harder for thieves to use the passcode to create mischief when the user’s phone is not at home or at work.
A customers looks at an iPhone 15s at the Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif
A customers looks at an iPhone 15s at the Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023. Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images file
Dec. 13, 2023, 4:00 PM WAT / Source: CNBC.com
By Kif Leswing, CNBC
Apple will introduce a new security mode for iPhones that can protect users when thieves or other attackers learn their private passcode.
The feature, Stolen Device Protection, creates a second layer of security, making it harder for thieves to use the passcode to create mischief when the user’s phone is not at home or at work.
If the phone is at a location that is not usually associated with its owner, and Stolen Device Protection is turned on, the device will require Apple’s FaceID facial recognition in addition to a passcode for users to perform sensitive actions, such as viewing stored passwords or wiping the phone. Thieves won’t be able to make those changes or see those settings with only a passcode. In addition, any attacker won’t be able to change the user’s Apple ID password or remove FaceID without a mandatory one-hour delay, and then have to pass a FaceID check again.
The new feature comes after The Wall Street Journal identified a scam in which attackers befriend or spy on their victims, often at bars at night, and get them to reveal their passcode, sometimes by asking to see a photo or by looking over their shoulder.
The attacker then steals the phone and uses the purloined passcode to turn off theft protections such as Apple’s Activation Lock feature or Lost Mode. A working stolen iPhone is more valuable than one that’s locked down through software, which typically needs to be sold for parts.
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Apple prompts essentially every iPhone user to input a four-digit or six-digit passcode when the device is set up. Before the new function, Apple’s privacy and stolen device protections, including its FaceID facial recognition tool, were tied to that passcode, allowing anyone with a stolen device and passcode to take full control of the phone.
Stolen Device Mode can be turned on under Face ID and Passcode > Stolen Device Protection for those who have the latest developer beta of iOS, iOS 17.3.
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The opt-in feature will be shipped to other iPhone users in the coming weeks when iOS 17.3 is launched to the public.
“As threats to user devices continue to evolve, we work tirelessly to develop powerful new protections for our users and their data,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief can’t access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user’s passcode. In the rare cases where a thief can observe the user entering the passcode and then steal the device, Stolen Device Protection adds a sophisticated new layer of protection.”
Apple says it will fix software problems blamed for making iPhone 15 models too hot to handle
Apple is blaming a software bug and other issues tied to popular apps such as Instagram and Uber for causing its recently released iPhone 15 models to heat up and spark complaints about becoming too hot to handle.
The Cupertino, California, company said Saturday that it is working on an update to the iOS17 system that powers the iPhone 15 lineup to prevent the devices from becoming uncomfortably hot and is working with apps that are running in ways “causing them to overload the system.”
Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, modified its social media app earlier this week to prevent it from heating up the device on the latest iPhone operating system.
Uber and other apps such as the video game Asphalt 9 are still in the process of rolling out their updates, Apple said. It didn’t specify a timeline for when its own software fix would be issued but said no safety issues should prevent iPhone 15 owners from using their devices while awaiting the update.
“We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected,” Apple in a short statement provided to The Associated Press after media reports detailed overheating complaints that are peppering online message boards.
The Wall Street Journal amplified the worries in a story citing the overheating problem in its own testing of the new iPhones, which went on sale a week ago.
It’s not unusual for new iPhones to get uncomfortably warm during the first few days of use or when they are being restored with backup information stored in the cloud — issues that Apple already flags for users. The devices also can get hot when using apps such as video games and augmented reality technology that require a lot of processing power, but the heating issues with the iPhone 15 models have gone beyond those typical situations.
In its acknowledgment, Apple stressed that the trouble isn’t related to the sleek titanium casing that houses the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max instead of the stainless steel used on older smartphones.
Apple also dismissed speculation that the overheating problem in the new models might be tied to a shift from its proprietary Lightning charging cable to the more widely used USB-C port that allowed it to comply with a mandate issued by European regulators.
Although Apple expressed confidence that the overheating issue can be quickly fixed with the upcoming software updates, the problem still could dampen sales of its marquee product at time when the company has faced three consecutive quarters of year-over-year declines in overall sales.
The downturn has affected iPhone sales, which fell by a combined 4% in the nine months covered by Apple’s past three fiscal quarters compared with a year earlier.
Apple is trying to pump up its sales in part by raising the starting price for its top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max to $1,200, an increase of $100, or 9%, from last year’s comparable model.
Investor worries about Apple’s uncharacteristic sales funk already have wiped out more than $300 billion in shareholder wealth since the company’s market value closed at $3 trillion for the first time in late June.
