Apple sending out special, more open iPhones to security researchers
The special iPhones should make it easier for researchers to probe iOS for flaws and fix vulnerabilities
Apple’s recently announced ‘Apple Security Research Device Program‘ is now sending special research iPhones to security researchers.
Back in July, Apple announced the program, which will provide special iPhones equipped with unique code execution and containment policies. These devices will help security researchers hunting for vulnerabilities in the software and hardware. The iPhones are less locked down than the devices sold to consumers but are as close as possible to production phones. Further, the special devices won’t require researchers to jailbreak them to do research.
Apple has begun to notify security researchers that they will begin to receive iPhones as part of the company’s new Apple Security Research Device Program.
Back in July, Apple announced that it was making a special type of iPhone consumers wouldn’t be able to buy. Instead, this hacker-friendly iDevice would be sent exclusively to security researchers. This week, that new iPhone started shipping.
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As you’d expect, the iPhones consumers receive include a locked-down version of iOS so as to make it very difficult for malicious software and hackers to take control of your device. However, security researchers have to work with the same version, making it that much more difficult to analyze and discover security holes in the mobile OS. Apple realized this and decided to offer a hacker-friendly iPhone to the research community.