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When the iPhone X notch was first announced I thought it would be a fantastic security UI opportunity: What if the top of the screen was only writable by the sy

When the iPhone X notch was first announced I thought it would be a fantastic security UI opportunity: What if the top of the screen was only writable by the system? It would normally be black or show the time, but whenever there is a password dialog, it turns green with a security lock. This is something I've wanted on all computers for a while: fundamentally, any computer where you can get access to the whole screen's buffer means you can fake a logged out screen asking you to log in, or any other number of phishing attacks. The only way to prevent this is to have a separate secure screen buffer for a special part of the screen that the user can use to visually verify the security of an operation. The notch provided an awesome opportunity for the because: 1) it was NEW screen real estate, it wouldn't feel like you were acquiescing existing screen space for this security need and 2) it looks absolutely horrible when integrated into apps anyways, so why not use it minimally for good reason instead?

zoul 9y ago
Especially when there’s already a UI precedent: the coloured status bar indicating a call, personal hotspot connection, etc. Great idea!
Osmium 9y ago
Fantastic idea, upvote for visibility. Reminds me of the old ctrl+alt+delete but much more friendly for the user.
tonyztan 9y ago
Great idea. I wish Apple would consider this.
tetrep 9y ago
Ditto for the touch bar on Macbooks (although that doesn't fix the issues for OS X in general).
ProfessorLayton 9y ago
This would also make sense on the MBP's touchbar
- eric_h 9y ago
  Yes indeed. I'm always a little anxious when an installer (or something) prompts me for an administrator password, and some secure channel indicating that it's really the OS that's asking for it would help to assuage my fears.
zacmps 9y ago
This already exists on Windows (via require Ctrl-Alt-Del) and to a lesser degree on Android (by always being able to show the action bar in fullscreen).
- andrewla 9y ago
  Not really. From the GP > This is something I've wanted on all computers for a while: fundamentally, any computer where you can get access to the whole screen's buffer means you can fake a logged out screen asking you to log in, or any other number of phishing attacks. In Windows, I can render the whole screen, so I can put up a fake login dialog. To some extent, Windows users are used to requiring a ctrl-alt-delete before being prompted for a password, but there's no reason why I can't put up a static image of what the screen looks like during a password request. Having a portion of the screen which an application is forbidden from accessing would solve this, but the requirement for full-screen applications that want to write every user-visible pixel means that there's fundamentally no way to prevent this attack.
  - jychang 9y ago
    No, he's correct. Ctrl-Alt-Delete on windows is a privileged hotkey that goes directly to the kernel. A phishing program can't intercept it once it has been pressed. If you know that Ctrl-Alt-Delete has been pressed, you are already privileged as the kernel and would be able to compromise a hypothetical protected screen buffer anyways. https://i.imgur.com/BE0xN3i.png https://i.imgur.com/BE0xN3i.png The Windows login screen here doesn't allow you to type in the password until you press the magical keys that only the kernel can access. This significantly increases security, since any phishing program that puts up a fake static image doesn't know when to present the login dialog.
    - MichaelGG 9y ago
      Programs can detect Ctrl alt del somehow, because RDP clients do it. But they can't intercept it. But a phishing program can just show the enter password screen, without the ctrl alt del prompt. Few users understand the security need to press ctrl alt del. And in newer Windows, it doesn't seem to prompt unless you enable it via GP.
amelius 9y ago
Great idea. Except, I'm not sure if the average user would benefit from this. Would they be aware of this feature? (Of course, no question that for us hackers this would be a very useful improvement!)
- kelnos 9y ago
  Not initially, but just as users can be 'trained' to automatically enter in their password when they see a popup, they can eventually be trained to expect a new UI element to indicate it's secure. Seems like in browsers, the lock icon and (for EV certs) company name in the location bar has been a plus, so there's certainly precedent for this sort of thing.
stephanerangaya 9y ago
fantastic idea
ercu 9y ago
What does prevent the developer from making this new screen buffer blank/black and making the top of app's screen look exactly like that shape and style? The user won't see the difference except small top margin.
altern8tif 9y ago
Am I missing something here? Isn't the notch already taken up by FaceID sensors/front-facing camera? It isn't really "extra screen real estate". I do like the idea of a separate indicator for system-wide security events though. Perhaps an LED indicator although that doesn't seem very Apple-like.
- jondwillis 9y ago
  I believe OP is referring to the screen real estate next to the notch on both sides.
Nition 9y ago
Plus 3) It would make app development easier. No more trying to fit your UI around the notch.
skav 9y ago
I worked in dumb phone standards 12 years ago (GlobalPlatform) and it was actually in the standards to tell the user "you are in the secure zone". Well, OEMS in the western world were not really willing to implement it, funny it comes back now.

zoul 9y ago

Especially when there’s already a UI precedent: the coloured status bar indicating a call, personal hotspot connection, etc. Great idea!

Osmium 9y ago

Fantastic idea, upvote for visibility. Reminds me of the old ctrl+alt+delete but much more friendly for the user.

tonyztan 9y ago

Great idea. I wish Apple would consider this.

tetrep 9y ago

Ditto for the touch bar on Macbooks (although that doesn't fix the issues for OS X in general).

ProfessorLayton 9y ago

This would also make sense on the MBP's touchbar

eric_h 9y ago
Yes indeed. I'm always a little anxious when an installer (or something) prompts me for an administrator password, and some secure channel indicating that it's really the OS that's asking for it would help to assuage my fears.

zacmps 9y ago

This already exists on Windows (via require Ctrl-Alt-Del) and to a lesser degree on Android (by always being able to show the action bar in fullscreen).

andrewla 9y ago
Not really. From the GP > This is something I've wanted on all computers for a while: fundamentally, any computer where you can get access to the whole screen's buffer means you can fake a logged out screen asking you to log in, or any other number of phishing attacks. In Windows, I can render the whole screen, so I can put up a fake login dialog. To some extent, Windows users are used to requiring a ctrl-alt-delete before being prompted for a password, but there's no reason why I can't put up a static image of what the screen looks like during a password request. Having a portion of the screen which an application is forbidden from accessing would solve this, but the requirement for full-screen applications that want to write every user-visible pixel means that there's fundamentally no way to prevent this attack.
- jychang 9y ago
  No, he's correct. Ctrl-Alt-Delete on windows is a privileged hotkey that goes directly to the kernel. A phishing program can't intercept it once it has been pressed. If you know that Ctrl-Alt-Delete has been pressed, you are already privileged as the kernel and would be able to compromise a hypothetical protected screen buffer anyways. https://i.imgur.com/BE0xN3i.png https://i.imgur.com/BE0xN3i.png The Windows login screen here doesn't allow you to type in the password until you press the magical keys that only the kernel can access. This significantly increases security, since any phishing program that puts up a fake static image doesn't know when to present the login dialog.
  - MichaelGG 9y ago
    Programs can detect Ctrl alt del somehow, because RDP clients do it. But they can't intercept it. But a phishing program can just show the enter password screen, without the ctrl alt del prompt. Few users understand the security need to press ctrl alt del. And in newer Windows, it doesn't seem to prompt unless you enable it via GP.

amelius 9y ago

Great idea. Except, I'm not sure if the average user would benefit from this. Would they be aware of this feature? (Of course, no question that for us hackers this would be a very useful improvement!)

kelnos 9y ago
Not initially, but just as users can be 'trained' to automatically enter in their password when they see a popup, they can eventually be trained to expect a new UI element to indicate it's secure. Seems like in browsers, the lock icon and (for EV certs) company name in the location bar has been a plus, so there's certainly precedent for this sort of thing.

stephanerangaya 9y ago

fantastic idea

ercu 9y ago

What does prevent the developer from making this new screen buffer blank/black and making the top of app's screen look exactly like that shape and style? The user won't see the difference except small top margin.

altern8tif 9y ago

Am I missing something here? Isn't the notch already taken up by FaceID sensors/front-facing camera? It isn't really "extra screen real estate". I do like the idea of a separate indicator for system-wide security events though. Perhaps an LED indicator although that doesn't seem very Apple-like.

jondwillis 9y ago
I believe OP is referring to the screen real estate next to the notch on both sides.

Nition 9y ago

Plus 3) It would make app development easier. No more trying to fit your UI around the notch.

skav 9y ago

I worked in dumb phone standards 12 years ago (GlobalPlatform) and it was actually in the standards to tell the user "you are in the secure zone". Well, OEMS in the western world were not really willing to implement it, funny it comes back now.