Welcome back to another post from ToBeSecured to get another update on the latest security/privacy news. If you aren't already, please subscribe to my blog and share this post to your social media, friends, family, and other peers. You can expect episode 46 of Cyber Tuesdays to be released on tomorrow evening and tune in through YouTube or IGTV.
I came across this information today about a new iOS update that is to be released pretty soon, but it's been rumored for a while now. This was my first time stumbling across this information though. Today, I'll be telling you about Apple's new iOS update that includes an exciting new unlock feature. Apple’s iOS 14.5 will come with an exciting new way of unlocking your iPhone, but there are security considerations to take into account. Here’s what you need to know.
When it comes to cyber security, you'll sometimes have to choose between convenience and security. I believe this may serve as one of those instances and, in my opinion, most users will opt-in and choose convenience over security. No doubt about it—iOS 14.5 is going to be one of the biggest updates of Apple’s latest iPhone operating system. Why? Because iOS 14.5 comes with an exciting new way of unlocking your phone while wearing a mask, and the game-changing anti-tracking privacy change that’s been in the making for months.
It has been a long time coming for the new iOS 14.5 unlock feature. Apple users have been waiting for nearly a year now for an easier way to unlock their iPhones while having to wear a mask. Apple’s current solution is clumsy—a feature in an iOS 13 update brings up your passcode when your iPhone detects your face is covered.
So how does this soon-to-arrive iOS 14.5 feature work?
The secret is haptic feedback, the technology that allows you to unlock your MacBook using your Apple Watch. It’s easy to use, as long as several criteria are met, as 9to5Mac explains. For example, you must enable a passcode on your Apple Watch to open your iPhone with it, but you should only have to enter this when you put the watch on each day (unless you take it off). You’ll also need to enable the Apple Watch wrist detection feature to unlock your iPhone in iOS 14.5.
Is the new iOS 14.5 feature secure?
The new iOS 14.5 feature is nice and convenient, but of course it isn't as secure as Face ID or TouchID, which is one reason Apple added the option to quickly “Lock iPhone” from your watch if you need to.
Indeed, 9to5Mac, which tried the feature out in the iOS 14.5 Beta, said: “It does not appear that this feature is scanning for your face at all.
“Instead, it is simply looking for a face mask, and when it registers a face mask—whether it’s on you or someone else—it will use proximity to unlock with your Apple Watch.”
But at the same time, The Guardian points out that users will still need to glance at their phone to confirm the unlock, and the strength of the Bluetooth signal between iPhone and Apple Watch will be measured to ensure they are being held by the same person. Doesn't this sound like too much versus implementing TouchID in the new updates and released iPhones.
Finding the balance between convenience and security
The iOS 14.5 feature will certainly be useful, but using it is a trade-off between security and convenience, says Jake Moore, cybersecurity specialist at ESET. He warns: “Anything that even bypasses security remotely makes the device slightly more vulnerable.”
He says Touch ID would have been a stronger solution to the scenario of opening up your phone with a mask on, which he thinks is “far more secure as it reduces the chance of shoulder surfing people seeing any passcodes being entered.”
I agree with Jake Moore and, as I stated in the previous section, it would've been much simpler, convenient, and secure to instead implement TouchID in the future. What do you think?
What are your thoughts on this topic? Subscribe to my blog if you haven't already and follow my Instagram - ToBeSecured for CyberTuesday vlogs. I have launched my YouTube channel and you can find me by simply typing Kassirer Dunn into the search engine. Thank you for tuning in and remember ToBeSecured!
Comments