iPhone 7 Release: Problems Arise With Cybersecurity

The iPhone 7 release happened mere days ago, but there are already significant complaints about the new device. From widespread outcry about the device’s new wireless headphones and lack of an auxiliary jack to urgent iPhone 7 cybersecurity concerns, consumers wonder if Apple missed the mark on its latest device.

Flaws in Apple’s Security Software

Recently, the prominent human activist Ahmed Mansoor accidentally discovered a nasty piece of spyware. Hackers sent Mansoor a text message asking him to click on a website link. Mansoor luckily thought the message seemed suspicious and forwarded it to security researchers at the University of Toronto Citizen Lab. The researchers investigated the message and discovered that it contained a highly sophisticated spyware program that worked via software flaws that were unbeknownst to Apple at the time.

The program is capable of hijacking the iPhone’s camera and microphone to record activity in the phone’s area. It could have recorded calls Mansoor made through Viber and WhatsApp, track his whereabouts, and record messages he sent in chat room apps. The security flaws the spyware targets are evidently present in all Apple iPhone devices. These flaws leave users wide open to infections with the same spyware and others like it if they click on the hacker’s link.

Apple’s Solution to Cybersecurity Concerns

As soon as Apple became aware of this significant security problem, the company issued a security update, iOS 9.3.5, to patch these flaws. Apple urges all iPhone and iPad users to download the update as soon as possible. The update prevents a hacker from potentially accessing your phone’s camera, text messages, microphone, and emails. While Apple halted this serious piece of spyware in its tracks, thanks to Mansoor’s quick thinking, users may not be so lucky next time.

This latest cybersecurity attack had the most sophisticated spyware ever seen on the market. A spyware broker claims it offered a $1 million bounty to any hacker who could manage the same type of attack Mansoor experienced. Hackers covet this kind of system compromise in the realm of cyber spyware. There’s no guarantee another hacker won’t release a similar program on unsuspecting iPhone 7 users—one that circumvents the new security update. Stay vigilant with software updates and current on the latest threats to cybersecurity to protect your own sensitive data.

The First Days of iPhone 7

Apple consistently pushes the bar on the technologies it uses with each new iPhone release. The iPhone 7 represents an unveiling of the company’s next-generation smartphone, complete with all the latest features and gadgets. As mentioned above, the public expressed widely negative views about the lack of a headphone jack and the Bluetooth-operated wireless headphones. Users fear that they may lose the small earbuds and can no longer use the auxiliary jack to plug the iPhone into other devices. However, the device’s positive updates seem to outweigh the negatives.

Apple also increased the battery capacity, which remains one of the chief complaints for iPhone users everywhere. The iPhone 7 Plus implements a dual camera system that delivers enhanced photo quality in dim lighting and other camera improvements. Apple also made the device water resistant and added a new, vibrating home button. The home button is force sensitive like the trackpad in the newest MacBooks. One aesthetic change is a new available color: a shiny, true-black finish.

As technology becomes more sophisticated, so do cyberattacks. As consumers weigh in on all the new changes the iPhone 7 introduces, Apple urges customers to stay on top of security updates to prevent becoming a victim of dangerous spyware.