Apple has announced a new “extreme” security feature called Isolation mode — also coming to iPad and Mac — to help protect against targeted cyberattacks.
The new iPhone Isolate Mode will be available for testing in the betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura.
Apple says the iPhone’s Isolation Mode will provide a “optional extreme protection for a small number of users facing serious targeted threats that compromise their network security.”
Really, this mode is not intended for the average citizen but for a very small percentage of users that could be the specific target of very sophisticated threats, such as Pegasus software.
With Isolation lockdown mode on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, device functionality is limited to greatly reduce the “attack surface” for potential exploits and harden defenses.
Here’s how Apple describes the security measures Isolation Mode will take when it launches this fall:
- Messages: Most types of attachments other than images are blocked. Various features, such as link preview, are also disabled.
- Web browsing: Certain complex web technologies, such as just-in-time (JIT) compilation of JavaScript, are disabled unless the user excludes a trusted site from isolation mode.
- Apple Services: Incoming invitations and service requests, including FaceTime calls, are blocked if the user hasn’t previously sent a request or called the initiator.
- Wired connections to a computer or accessory are blocked when iPhone is locked.
- When isolation mode is enabled, configuration profiles cannot be installed and the device cannot access mobile device management (MDM).
In addition, Apple has created a new category in the Apple Security Rewards Program to reward researchers who find deviations in isolation mode and help improve its protection measures.
Rewards from valid finds are doubled in isolation mode (up to a maximum of 2 million dollars). This is the highest reward of its kind in the industry.
