Dive Brief:
-
After a researcher found a bug in Apple's newest version of the MacOS Tuesday, the tech company released a patch the next day and announced plans to audit its software development process, reports Reuters.
-
The security flaw allowed hackers with physical access to a vulnerable Mac running the Sierra OS to sign in with the username "Root," which granted access without a password requirement, according to CNET. The initial security update, however, broke the file sharing function on Mac computers. Apple subsequently reissued the security update with the necessary fix.
- The security problem comes roughly two weeks after Apple released an iOS update fixing a problem under which the letter "i" was autocorrected to "A" plus a symbol.
Dive Insight:
Apple may have outperformed financial expectations with the latest release of its products line, but the combination of these problems and supply shortages for the iPhone X led to a rocky first few weeks.
A hacker sitting down at a computer and logging in is a blatant security weakness, but the reality is most mobile devices face less obvious security risks daily. Just look at the revelation of the KRACK wi-fi vulnerability, for example.
The majority of working adults use a VPN. About 40% of users have one installed on their laptops and 29% and 31% have one installed on corporate and personal mobile devices, respectively. Yet more than half of working adults also trust free wifi in airports and coffee shops, among other public places.
Given the overlap of personal and work functions across devices, vulnerabilities are a huge threat for employers. Yet the security flaws extend beyond the mobile market and throughout the Internet of Things.
Time to market and societal pressures often result in security taking a backseat in IoT devices. Given that these connected devices generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily, and that platforms to house and analyze this data are improving, improving security needs to move to the forefront of developers' and executives' focuses.
