A new iOS setting designed to address security vulnerabilities has been rolled out to beta testers since Tuesday, according to Fox Business.
A security issue has allowed thieves to take over customers’ iPhone accounts, access saved passwords, lock people out of their digital memories and steal money – all of which Apple says the new setting is designed to address.
The Wall Street Journal reported on a nationwide series of thefts in which thieves in New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Minneapolis and other cities watched iPhone users unlock their phones before stealing the devices using the phone’s passcode.
Apple plans to include Stolen Device Protection in an upcoming software update to combat the attacks. Once turned on, users will enable their phones to restrict certain settings when the person is away from a location, such as work or home, that is not recognisable to the phone.
Under the new feature, when users want to change their password with Stolen Device Protection on the phone, their Face ID or Touch ID will be required and a one-hour delay will be introduced before they can change the password. At the end of the hour, users will have to re-confirm that they want to perform the action with Face ID or Touch ID before they can do so.
However, according to Fox Business, anyone with your phone and passcode will still be able to unlock your phone even with the new setting. What’s more, any app that isn’t protected by an additional passcode or PIN, or accounts that can be reset by text or email, are vulnerable to hacking.
