Apple Publishes New Apple Platform Security Guide

Coinciding with the launch of its public bug bounty program, Apple today published its new Apple Platform Security guide, offering users details about the security technology and features that are implemented within Apple platforms – including sections on Mac for the first time.

apple platform security site
The documentation has been updated to reflect changes in iOS 13.3, iPadOS 13.3, macOS 10.15.2, tvOS 13.3, and watchOS 6.1.1. The Apple Platform Security site also covers hardware and services, providing comprehensive information in a readable format on the following topics:

  • Hardware Security and Biometrics: The hardware that forms the foundation for security on Apple devices, including the Secure Enclave, a dedicated AES crypto engine, Touch ID, and Face ID.
  • System Security: The integrated hardware and software functions that provide for the safe boot, update, and ongoing operation of Apple operating systems.
  • Encryption and Data Protection: The architecture and design that protects user data if the device is lost or stolen, or if an unauthorized person attempts to use or modify it.
  • App Security: The software and services that provide a safe app ecosystem and enable apps to run securely and without compromising platform integrity.
  • Services Security: Apple’s services for identification, password management, payments, communications, and finding lost devices.
  • Network Security: Industry-standard networking protocols that provide secure authentication and encryption of data in transmission.
  • Developer Kits: Frameworks for secure and private management of home and health, as well as extension of Apple device and service capabilities to third-party apps.
  • Secure Device Management: Methods that allow management of Apple devices, prevent unauthorized use, and enable remote wipe if a device is lost or stolen.
  • Security Certifications and Programs: Information on ISO certifications, Cryptographic validation, Common Criteria Certification, and the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program.

The site can be browsed from the Table of Contents at the top of the page, or a PDF of the documentation can be downloaded here.

Alongside its Platform Security site, Apple maintains a separate site covering the company's approach to privacy, privacy controls on Apple devices, and the Apple privacy policy.

If users believe they have discovered a security or privacy vulnerability that affects Apple devices, software, services, or web servers, Apple encourages them to report it by sending an email to product-security@apple.com along with any relevant videos, crash logs, and system diagnosis reports. More information on reporting a security or privacy vulnerability can be found here.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 Cinema 4D Slack Finder Xcode 1

Apple Announces MacBook Pro Models With M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips, Thunderbolt 5 Support, and More

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, alongside a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new M4 Pro and M4 Max machines come with a minimum of 24GB of Unified Memory as standard, up from 18GB in the previous models. Both models feature three...
M4 Pro on Blue

M4 Pro Chip Benchmark Results Reveal an Extremely Impressive Performance Feat

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:06 pm PDT by
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance. Here is a comparison of the results: Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results) Mac Studio...
m3 macbook air blue

Apple Announces MacBook Air Now Starts With Increased 16GB of RAM With No Price Increase

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple today in its new MacBook Pro press release announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip. In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so there is no price increase associated with the...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, and More

Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The product refresh marks the first time the Mac mini has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches...
Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1

iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Friday November 1, 2024 4:04 am PDT by
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Skipping the New MacBook Pro? Here Are Two Bigger Changes Rumored

Thursday October 31, 2024 4:00 pm PDT by
While the new MacBook Pro lineup features faster M4 chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations, a nano-texture display option, and more, most of the previous MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips still offer the latest overall design, and fast performance, which might lead you to avoid upgrading this year. If you are planning to skip the new MacBook Pro, here are ...

Top Rated Comments

bobob Avatar
64 months ago
Android/Windows users: Denial ain't just river in Eygpt.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Puppuccino Avatar
64 months ago
It's great that it exists, but clear communications from Apple regarding bugs need to be established. I don't expect a heartfelt letter of thanks when I submit bugs, but something more than them sitting in a list without any kind of status indication puts me off.

Apple is great at marketing but their 'PR' is non-existent.

They need to talk more.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Puppuccino Avatar
64 months ago

[...]

Not sure what this is, but PR is definitely the wrong word for it. Maybe Developer Relations?
DR then ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sdf Avatar
64 months ago

I don't expect a heartfelt letter of thanks when I submit bugs, but something more than them sitting in a list without any kind of status indication puts me off.
I totally agree with this. I've reported two vulnerabilities to them in the past. Both times they credited me, but neither time did they acknowledge receipt of the bug, the vulnerability, that they had figured it out, or that they were going to fix it until just before the public release of the fix when they asked me how I wanted to be credited.

That was several weeks (months in one case) of stress worrying if I'd really got it in front of them in a way that they understood it.


Apple is great at marketing but their 'PR' is non-existent.
Not sure what this is, but PR is definitely the wrong word for it. Maybe Developer Relations?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madmin Avatar
64 months ago
This is very welcome, but unfortunately is an exception to the usual lack of decent, up to date documentation coming from Apple in recent years.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lalatoon Avatar
64 months ago
Good that they now include macOS.


Android/Windows users: Denial ain't just river in Eygpt.
Without even blinking you want this topic to be Android/Windows vs iOS/macOS. I pity you.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)