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Apple quietly reveals iOS security innards

Cupertino promises "solid protection" against net nasties

Apple has published a guide to iOS security, detailing in one place the various safeguards that stop perps p0wning fondleslabs and iPhones.

The iOS security model

Apple's diagram of iOS security measures

The guide appears to have landed on Apple.com a couple of weeks ago without fanfare or PR flim-flammery, and opens with the proclamation that “Apple designed the iOS platform with security at its core.”

While we suspect the opposite can only be said for IE6, the guide offers more than chest-puffing. Four sections, one dedicated to architecture, encryption, network security and device access, offer decently comprehensive descriptions of Apple's security approaches without giving away any crown jewels.

A few features that have until now been of little interests beyond the jailbreaking community – such as the Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode – get a formal airing. There's also a lengthy explanation of classes in iOS.

The presence of utterly anodyne passages – there's a basic password primer Reg readers will have memorised in the cradle – and a glossary hint that impressing suits is at least as important as tickling techies down Cupertino way. It's also worth noting that the document is not at all boastful – the conclusion says iOS offers “solid protection against viruses, malware, and other exploits that compromise the security of other platforms.” That's our emphasis there, because it's a long way from the usual hyperbole about security and therefore a little refreshing. ®

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