Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

Update your iOS devices now to fix a new security flaw

David Nield
By
update ios devices now fix new security flaw
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you own an iPhone, iPad touch, iPad or Apple TV, head into the Settings app at your earliest convenience: Apple has just pushed out a software update that fixes a fairly major security flaw in the mobile operating system.

According to the notes accompanying the update, the vulnerability allows hackers to “capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS” — essentially, your information could be exposed if you’re on a dodgy Wi-Fi network and someone is trying to intercept your data. The new 7.0.6 and 6.1.6 updates fix the issue.

Recommended Videos

Security flaw or not, it’s always good practise to exercise caution whenever you’re connecting to a network that isn’t at your home or office. If you’re on a public network that anyone can connect to, you should only visit sites that use encrypted connections (i.e. starting with https rather than http). The bug unearthed in iOS means these encrypted connections can be hacked into as well as standard unsecured connections.

Related

There could be more bad news on the way for Apple: researchers at security firm CrowdStrike say OS X could be affected too. The vulnerability means hackers could impersonate secured sites such as your webmail service or your bank and hoover up your login details. A fix for OS X is expected from Apple in the near future.

CrowdStrike has some straightforward advice for Apple users: “Update your Apple devices and systems as soon as possible to the latest available versions. Do not use untrusted networks (especially Wi-Fi) while traveling, until you can update the devices from a trusted network. On unpatched mobile and laptop devices, set the ‘Ask to Join Networks’ setting to OFF, which will prevent them from showing prompts to connect to untrusted networks.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
David Nield
David Nield
Contributor
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
This one thing could make iOS 18 the best iPhone update in years
The Home Screen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple’s WWDC 2024 is just a couple of months away. As with every WWDC, we’ll see what Apple has in store for the next generation of software across its hardware portfolio, including the iPhone with iOS 18.

Rumors have been swirling about iOS 18 and how it will be “one of the biggest updates yet.” We know some features like RCS support in Messages are definitely coming, with other whispers of big home screen customization changes and more.

Read more
How to add a different home screen wallpaper on iOS 17
An iPhone with iOS 16, showing the new Lock Screen.

If you haven't used an iPhone in a while, or if you haven't tried to update your lock screen, they you might be happy to learn about some of the new customization features that are available in iOS 17. Although iOS has made some controversial changes to its UI, such as moving the notifications to the bottom of the lock screen, they are also more welcome changes to the customization options for the lock screen.

Introduced in iOS 16 was a slew of lock screen customization features to let you tweak your phone's lock screen to your liking, and these same features are available in iOS 17 as well. While the lock screen used to be just a static image, you can now make it more dynamic with options like cycling through collections of your photos, so you can show off your favorite photos of your pets, your family, or beautiful locations that you've visited.

Read more
When will Apple release iOS 18? Here’s what we know
An iPhone 14 laying face-down on a wood table.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will start on Monday, June 10. During the conference keynote, the company is expected to unveil new software updates for its major products, including iOS 18 for iPhones.

iOS 18 is expected to be a major iPhone update, likely ushering in a new design and AI features. If you are wondering when you can get your hands on the latest software version, here's everything you need to know about iOS 18's release date.
When will the iOS 18 beta be released?

Read more