Just recently in the Black Hat Convention, it was highlighted that Apple had the best security in smartphones today. Apple was so good at keeping the iOS secure, that in fact, app developers have increasingly become lax at maintaining their individual security. It was so lax to the point that developers no longer put in any fail-safes in the apps they make.
This reliance on Apple security can lead in to a one-hack-conquers-all scenario, since once the iPhone has been hacked, there is no longer anything stopping the hacker from hacking the user’s apps in the iPhone.
There is not much that Apple can do about that. All they can do is manage the iPhone and make it more secure from attacks from the device and operating system level.
With security in mind, Apple seeks to acquire security giant AuthenTec. This is a really surprising move, as Apple is usually known to purchase start-ups when they are looking for new technology to incorporate in their products. AuthenTec is already pretty established on its own right, and this deal might come off a whole lot pricier than Apple’s previous purchases.
AuthenTec already licenses their security tech to other tech companies like Apple’s lawsuit buddy, Samsung. Their fingerprint security technology has also been incorporated in computers for HP and Dell. Acquiring AuthenTec is pretty much a leap closer to increasing security, not only for the iPhone and iOS, but also for their Mac computer lines.
What people are most interested here is the possibility of fingerprint scanning technology in Apple’s future iPhone designs. This will provide yet another way to firmly secure the device. Fingerprint security has already made a large headway in Japan, where they have a world of mobile phones all to their own. If Apple can successfully popularize that feature to the rest of the world, Apple will be seen as once again a “game changer”.
There are plenty of bogus fingerprint scanning apps out there in the App store and Play store. With the thousands of downloads they get, it is pretty much a measure of how many would really want such a feature to exist in their devices. Would you want to keep your device safe with a lock made from your fingertips?
Image sources: mactrast.com, biometrictimeclock.info,
