Apple enforces user data security with new updates

Apple Enforces User Data Security with New Updates

Apple has “you control your data" for a while now, but with these new updates, the data is almost completely the consumers’.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • Jun 06, 2019

Apple announced eight security updates involving the Apple Watch, Apple maps and location, voice control, and more that will significantly increase the average Apple user’s security. The opening keynote speaker at Monday’s Worldwide Developer Conference showed how these new features will directly influence Apple users, giving them security that Apple competitors like Google and Facebook can't offer.

In addition to the new watchOS health features for the Apple Watch, Apple emphasized that all data the watch collects will stay on the device or in the user’s control. Beside the watch, the data can either be stored on the user’s iPhone or in iCloud, which ensures that the user controls their own privacy.

The second update involved location, as in iOS 13 users will be able to share their location with an app “just once” instead of “only while using the app,” “always," or "never." If an app keeps tracking the user’s location without their knowledge, iOS will notify them. Moreover, apps won’t be able to use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to guess the user’s location as they have been able to previously.

The sign-in process will look a bit different with iOS13 as well. Now, users will be able to sign into apps without sharing any of their personal information. If the user wishes, they can even hide their email address from the app. If the app needs to send an email to the user, Apple will generate a random address for each app, and that address will forward to the user’s email. If the user is finished receiving emails from the app, they can easily disable the email address for that app.

The five last security updates involve the Mac, HomeKit security, and Find My. After HomeKit security acquires video footage, it will encrypt it before sending it to iCloud. This ensures that Apple or anyone else can’t view the footage. Find My iPhone and Find My Friends will be consolidated into one app, called Find My. Within this app, a user now can find devices even if they are offline. Voice Control, the Activation Lock, and macOS security will all be available on Macs soon as well. Voice processing will not be sent to the cloud, activation lock will allow you to protect your data by locking down your computer after it has been stolen, and macOS security requires Mac apps to gain permission to access files on your computer. Furthermore, the user will be notified before any app monitors keyboard activity or captures a photo or video on their screen.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.