The latest much-anticipated iOS 16 update from Apple, released on January 15th, comes packed with a variety of innovative new features and crucial security upgrades. One of the most impressive new developments is the incorporation of support for security keys, which allows individuals to turn their iPhone or iPad into a physical security key for online account authentication.
Security keys represent a type of two-factor authentication (2FA) system, adding an extra layer of protection for online accounts by requiring the user to possess the physical security key to gain access. As such, even if a hacker were to obtain a user’s password, they would still be unable to access the account without having access to the security key.
Incorporating the FIDO2 standard, the iOS 16 update enables users to use their iPhone or iPad as a security key to access services such as Google, Microsoft, and Dropbox. This open standard provides strong authentication for users.
Moreover, this iOS 16 update also patches several known exploits, such as a kernel vulnerability that could have potentially allowed a hacker to gain access with system privileges and a WebKit vulnerability that could have provided the same hacker with privileges of the web process.
Alongside these noteworthy security improvements, iOS 16 update offers several other advantages and new features, such as a refreshed home screen design, improved Siri performance, and support for 5G networks.
Overall, the iOS 16 update proves to be a game-changer for Apple, presenting a number of security advancements and enhancements that will be a great asset to users. Most importantly, the incorporation of support for security keys will guarantee a higher level of security for online accounts.
