When Apple releases iOS 8 in the fall, corporate employees who use their iPhones and iPads for work will have better privacy protection when walking in places with Wi-Fi networks.
The next major version of Apple's mobile operating system will hide the device's unique identifier called a media access control (MAC) address, which is sometimes used to track people in retail stores and other locations.
Apple's biggest announcement today was, without a doubt, iOS 8's new openness. As the company's press release says, it's their biggest developer release ever, with more than 4000 new application programming interface (API) calls.
"iOS 8 allows developers to further customise the user experience with major extensibility features like Notification Center widgets and third-party keyboards; and introduces robust frameworks such as HealthKit [for health and fitness apps to communicate with each other] and HomeKit [for home automation]," Apple writes.
Not one but two well-known hack researchers have now posted evidence of working jailbreaks for iOS 7.1.1, which until now had closed the existing loopholes used by other techniques such as evasi0n. While interest in and use of jailbreaks has waned as Apple has gotten better at closing vulnerabilities, enthusiasts and die-hard customizers continue to want the ability to use unofficial apps or tweak settings in the latest iOS releases.
Security issues with iOS 7 seem to be popping up everywhere. Last week, we reported that iOS 7 suffered from a bug which left email attachments unencrypted -- and while Apple has prepared a fix for the issue, a new one has appeared in its place.
According to Egyptian neurosurgeon and part-time security researcher Sherif Hashim, a flaw in iOS 7's Siri voice assistant allows anyone to bypass the iPhone lock screen and access the contact list. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Hashim detailed the method of attack.
Last week ZDNet's Larry Seltzer wrote about a bug in iOS 7 that left mail attachments unencrypted and thus vulnerable to potential hacks and other nefarious deeds. Today Apple acknowledged the bug and committed to fixing it.
Apple's recently-released iOS 7.1 update now shows a pop-up warning message for users making in-app purchases for the first time, reminding them of a 15-minute grace period in which additional purchases can be made without reentering password.
The pop-up offers direct access to iOS device Settings, where users can apply in-app purchase limitations, including an option to require passwords for every buy. Alternatively, users can turn off in-app purchasing altogether.
Apple has released iOS 7.1, the latest iterative version of its mobile software for its smartphones and tablets.
The software was made available for download on Monday, a week shy of six months after a radically redesigned iOS 7 was released.
The latest software version is compatible with iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, and iPod touch (5th generation) devices. Users of iOS 7 and older versions can upgrade compatible devices over-the-air by navigating to "Software Update" in the "General" section of the device's settings.
Researchers said they have identified a flaw in Apple's iOS that makes it possible for attackers to surreptitiously log every touch a user makes, including characters typed into the keyboard, TouchID presses, and adjustments to the volume control.
Based on a report by Business Insider, an analyst with JP Morgan believes that Apple needs to radically change iOS, presumably starting with iOS 8, to be more like Windows 8. The new iOS would blend OS X and iOS into a single operating system, much along the lines of Windows 8. The thought of an Apple mobile OS with live tiles shows it is not likely something the folks in Cupertino would do.
An annual report assessing the vulnerability and threat landscape for organizations, zeroed in on encryption issues that often plague mobile applications.
According to HP's Cyber Risk Report 2013, 46 percent of Android and iOS apps used encryption improperly, leaving users' data vulnerable to theft or misuse.
