Apple Boosts iPhone Security With Major New Move

Apple is set to boost security by more widely allowing the use of hardware security keys as an extra layer of protection, the iPhone maker has confirmed in an announcement.

Starting next year, the iPhone maker will allow you to protect your Apple ID and iCloud account using security keys. This means that as well as a password, a physical key can be used as another layer of protection on your account.

The iPhone update is easy to use—Apple told 9to5Mac that once you authenticate once, you won’t have to do it again when setting up a new iPhone so long as you use the device-to-device set up process.

So what is a security key, why do you need one, and why is Apple promoting their use?

What is a security key?

Security keys are a hardware “key” or token that you can use as an extra layer of protection for your iPhone. Two-factor authentication is an important security mechanism that can help to keep your iPhone safe, and keys are one of the best ways of doing this.

Apple doesn’t make the keys itself, but compatible ones include the Yubico YubiKey, which I am a fan of myself. I use mine across all my important accounts.

Why do you need a security key for your iPhone?

You don’t need a security key, but it’s certainly a good idea to have one. Threats are evolving all the time, and passwords alone are not good enough. They can be hacked, exposed in breaches and people reuse them across services. If an attacker was to get hold of your Apple ID, there’s a lot of sensitive data they could expose. A security key makes that less likely to happen.

“Hardware security keys offer protection and peace of mind because this is one of the most secure ways of safeguarding an account,” says Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET.

According to Moore, attackers still target Apple users with phishing scams or via physical device thefts. He says the use of security keys “will go one step further towards mitigating this common risk and protect Apple accounts even more.”

Why is Apple pushing security keys?

Apple is pushing security keys because it is a member of the FIDO Alliance, an initiative which hopes to get rid of passwords altogether and promotes methods such as biometrics including Face ID, as well as—you guessed it—security keys.

The latest move by Apple could help drive more industry adoption of security keys, says independent security researcher Sean Wright. “This has perhaps been the technology’s biggest limiting factor to date.”

Wright says security keys are currently the most secure means of multi-factor authentication. “They are also one of the rare cases where the increased security doesn’t necessarily come at the cost of usability, as long as the service implements the functionality correctly.”

Apple boosts security for all users

The security keys news comes alongside enhanced data protection for iCloud—which now offers end-to-end encryption for extra categories including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos.

When iOS 16.2 launches probably next week, the iPhone update may also include Rapid Security response, which allows important security updates to be pushed to your device. Stay tuned for more news on the launch of the next iPhone upgrade.