Checklist 110: Security and Privacy in iOS 12

Checklist 110: Security and Privacy in iOS 12

It’s finally here! On September 17, Apple introduced iOS 12, the latest version of the operating system that makes our iPhones and iPads tick. Packed with a ton of new features, there’s more to iOS 12 than new Animojis and screen time monitoring services. Even…

October 11, 2018 • 12 min read •
Apple’s July Security Updates Correct a Host of Problems

Apple’s July Security Updates Correct a Host of Problems

It’s that time again: Apple has pushed out a variety of updates for practically all its products, from iTunes for Windows to multiple flavors of macOS, plus the latest version of iOS 11.4. New security updates are also available for iCloud for Windows, Safari, watchOS,…

July 18, 2018 • 2 min read •
Apple Patches Yet Another Phone-Crashing Text Bug

Apple Patches Yet Another Phone-Crashing Text Bug

We’ve recently seen a series of bugs on iOS and macOS devices that all follow a similar pattern: maliciously-formed links or simple emojis and text strings that cause the device to lock up and crash, sometimes repeatedly. A number of these issues have been fixed…

February 26, 2018 • 2 min read •
iPhone Source Code Leak Could Open the Floodgates for Hackers

iPhone Source Code Leak Could Open the Floodgates for Hackers

A key piece of Apple’s iPhone source code may be out in the wild. On February 7, someone posted something called “iBoot” on GitHub. GitHub is a popular site for sharing computer code. This time, though, it appears the code in question was not the…

February 20, 2018 • 3 min read •
Checklist 71: 2017 Security Review Part One

Checklist 71: 2017 Security Review Part One

For this, Episode 71 of The Checklist, we sat down during the first week of January 2018 to put a magnifying glass over the year that just ended. For part one of our discussion, we’re taking an in-depth look at the biggest security issues that affected macOS and iOS in 2017. With so many things going on — and there were quite a lot — it can be tough to remember all the details. To start our recap, we’ll go all the way back to this time one year ago: the beginning of January.

January 11, 2018 • 13 min read •
Checklist 70: Apple’s No Good Very Bad Security Quarter

Checklist 70: Apple’s No Good Very Bad Security Quarter

For more than a year, we’ve been taking a little time every week here at The Checklist to bring you a podcast focused on and around the security of the Mac, iOS devices, and the Apple platform in general. We all know that was silly,…

January 4, 2018 • 13 min read •
Apple Patches Potentially Serious Vulnerability in HomeKit with iOS 11.2.1

Apple Patches Potentially Serious Vulnerability in HomeKit with iOS 11.2.1

In a world filled with “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices, there are security holes everywhere. Apple works hard on the hardened nature of its HomeKit system and the way these third-party devices interface with Apple products. So when news broke in early December that someone…

December 20, 2017 • 2 min read •
Checklist 67: The Latest Security Features in iOS 11: Part Two

Checklist 67: The Latest Security Features in iOS 11: Part Two

Recently, in episode 66, we looked at the latest security features Apple has built into macOS. Last week, we began to explore what’s new and different in iOS 11. While the basics of iOS haven’t changed in some time, time and different development approaches mean…

December 14, 2017 • 11 min read •
Quick Tweaks to Improve Your Privacy on iOS 11

Quick Tweaks to Improve Your Privacy on iOS 11

iOS 11 has been out for a few months now, and Apple’s latest flagship iPhone versions have also launched in its wake. By now, you should hopefully have made the upgrade to this newer software platform. Whether you’re just upgrading now, or you’ve been getting comfortable with iOS 11 for a few months now, you’ll find that iOS 11 puts plenty of tools within your reach to improve your device’s security and privacy. Here’s what you can do to make your device even safer.

December 9, 2017 • 3 min read •
5 Handy “Hacks” to Get More Functionality Out of Your iPhone

5 Handy “Hacks” to Get More Functionality Out of Your iPhone

Not every “hack” is a bad thing — in the true sense of the word, a “hack” means a clever and ingenious method for accomplishing something. You might know this from popular articles about “lifehacks.” Did you know that your iPhone has all kinds of built-in functionality that Apple doesn’t always advertise directly? Try out some of these handy “hacks” on your phone to see what you can accomplish.

December 6, 2017 • 3 min read •
Apple Releases iOS 11.1 and Other Important Security Updates

Apple Releases iOS 11.1 and Other Important Security Updates

The latest round of Apple security updates arrived on Halloween, delivering everything from iOS 11.1 to updates that affect macOS, watchOS, and more. As is often the case with large patch days, these updates address a wide variety of security flaws affecting different parts of…

October 31, 2017 • 2 min read •