iOS 16.2 brings brings Advanced Data Protection for iCloud to users in the US
Apple announced the new data protection tools last week, and US users are now getting to enjoy the first one of them with iOS 16.2, which is now available for download on supported iPhones.
Using Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, you will be protecting by end-to-end encryption many of your iCloud data files. The feature allows you to choose only trusted devices to be able to decrypt your end-to-end encrypted iCloud data. What this means is that even if there’s a breach in the cloud, the attacker will not be able to get access to your files stored there.
Apple’s already protecting 14 sensitive data categories in iCloud using end-to-end encryption by default. Those include passwords in iCloud Keychain and your Health data. If you choose to enable Advanced Data Protection, you now get 23 categories protected by end-to-end encryption, including iCloud Backup, Notes, and even Photos.
iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar are the only major iCloud data categories that are not covered by this feature. This is because they need to be able to work with the global email, contacts, and calendar systems.
Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of Security Engineering and Architecture, said.
Apple also announced two more privacy features to come in early 2023
Apart from Advanced Data Protection, Apple has two more privacy and security-focused features for iPhone users. Those two are primarily for journalists or human rights activists who can be vulnerable to hackers targeting them and using sophisticated methods to gain access to their data. Let’s see what those features are!
iMessage Contact Key Verification
iMessage Contact Key Verification is a new data protection feature that basically takes end-to-end encryption to a new level. iMessage and FaceTime are already encrypted to keep conversations private and secure. However, some people need even more protection – those are journalists, human rights activists, and government members, who are likely to get digitally attacked by malicious users. For them, iMessage Contact Key Verification has been created.
Security Keys for Apple ID
Security Keys for Apple ID is the next privacy and security-focused feature that Apple has announced. It allows you to choose to require a physical security key to sign in to your Apple ID account. Basically, taking two-factor authentication to the next level.
As with the previous feature, this one is not necessary for the regular user. It is aimed at helping people who face threats to their online accounts: for example celebrities, journalists, or government members.
If you enable it, Apple will require a hardware security key for the two-factor authentication (it will be one of the two factors).
