Apple Warns of a Cybersecurity Issue (That It Claims to Have the Keys to Fix)

As reported by CNET, Apple commissioned a cybersecurity report that states cyberattacks against companies that expose consumer data are increasing. According to the study, hackers exposed 1.1 billion personal records in 2021, while that number jump to 1.5 billion in 2022.

Bad actors are using what’s called “vendor exploitation attacks” to break into the systems of businesses through either other businesses that have partnered with the target, or via software that company is using provided by known vendors. This means of attack makes it more difficult to defend against, as the bad actors aren’t directly breaking into a company’s systems: Rather, they’re using a trusted vendor instead.

It’s obviously a concern to anyone paying attention that these types of dangerous attacks are on the rise, however, to Apple, there’s a clear response: Advanced Data Protection.

This feature, developed by Apple, encryption more user data than Apple’s default security features allow. Out of the box, iCloud will encrypt 14 different data points, including passwords. That’s why it’s safe to store things like passwords and health data in iCloud, while other data, like messages and photos, are traditionally riskier to store in Apple’s cloud service.

However, with Advanced Data Protection enabled, Apple encrypts an extra seven data points, including messages, photos, and iCloud backups. With these data points encrypted, bad actors have less avenues to attack through traditional means.

Of course, the whole thing is playing as Apple would hope: The study confirms the situation Apple’s feature hopes to solve. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a useful feature. If you use Apple devices for work or for personal use, Advanced Data Protection can protect your data while in iCloud.