Tag: security

From Passwords to Passkeys. How to Use the New Authentication Technology

PC Mag put together a rather comprehensive guide to using the new Passkeys introduced in iOS 16. It’s also available on iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura. If it works with previous OS versions, let me know.

Passkeys let you log in to websites and apps without using a password, replacing it with unique, site specific set of cryptographic keys linked with on device authentication methods such as FaceID, TouchID, or other compatible authentication technologies. Microsoft and Google, who are members of the same trade group as Apple, have announced support for compatible tech, so it won’t be limited to just Apple devices and ensures a much wider adoption.

A caveat with Passkeys is the app or website has to support it before you can use it. If you make a new account on a passkey compatible service, you won’t be prompted to generate a password, but if you’re an existing member or account holder, you’ll need to go through steps to transition from password to passkey to use the new method. 

No More Passwords: How to Set Up Apple’s Passkeys for Easy Sign-ins

Secret software logs and reports keystrokes on millions of mobile phones

Supposedly this is for quality control

I wonder if this applies internationally or just for US phones

Cringe as the video shows the software logging each number as Eckhart fingers the dialer.

“Every button you press in the dialer before you call,” he says on the video, “it already gets sent off to the IQ application.”

From there, the data — including the content of  text messages — is sent to Carrier IQ’s servers, in secret.

By the way, it cannot be turned off without rooting the phone and replacing the operating system. And even if you stop paying for wireless service from your carrier and decide to just use Wi-Fi, your device still reports to Carrier IQ.

Secret software logs and reports keystrokes on millions of mobile phones

Major iOS security bugs fixed in latest update

Not only did the Levi’s update of iOS (I’m gonna call it that since it’s 5.0.1) bring you better battery life, adds multitasking gestures to the first iPads, resolves bugs with Documents in iCloud and improves voice recognition with Australian accents, it also closed the security bug that was publicly exposed by Charlie Miller a few days ago which cost him his Apple developer account.

Other fixes: iPad 2 passcode security lock bypass and removing DataCert as a trusted certificate provider.

Major iOS security bugs fixed in latest update