3 ms·

I dont LOVE walled gardens but has there been any exposure of this scale in IOS devices?

deadmutex 5y ago
Here is an interesting (sad) story I read yesterday: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/06/1024621/china-apple-spy-uyghur-hacker-tianfu/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/06/1024621/china-ap...
toast0 5y ago
Apple doesn't have a spotless record with security. However, they are significantly better at pushing updates. A large majority of eligible iOS devices install OS updates, and iOS devices tend to be eligible for updates for many years. Additionally, because sales are much lower for iOS than Android, it's hard to get to the same scale. I don't know about iPad numbers, but 1 billion iPhones is about 5 years of sales, and five years is around where Apple stops providing updates (edit: as pointed out below, they're doing closer to 8 years from release now, but not all sales are from current model phones) and that combines with other factors and very few devices make it past five years of use.
- pwdisswordfish0 5y ago
  The 5s received iOS 12.5.1 in January, it was released Autumn 2013
- gord288 5y ago
  Just a few days ago, Apple issued a security update (iOS 12.5.3) for the iPhone 5s, a phone that first came out in Sept. 2013. Not bad huh?
- GeekyBear 5y ago
  > that combines with other factors and very few devices make it past five years of use The original version of the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s are six years old now. They run the current version of iOS and still work just fine.
  - toast0 5y ago
    How many of those sold six years ago are still operating? My guess is many have had something go wrong to the point that they're no longer used.
    - hungryforcodes 5y ago
      The iPhone 6 and SE are still hugely popular in Asia. I see them everywhere, and there is a whole after market economy for repairs and parts replacement.
      - GeekyBear 5y ago
        They are also still hugely popular in the US. Even the performance under the current OS, six years later, is still fine. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-14-on-the-iphone-6s-and-se-performance-is-fine-other-stuff-is-not/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-14-on-the-iphone...
zibzab 5y ago
This sort of things happen all the time in both camps. It's just that Android security is more open and visible to ordinary people. Apple _just_ patched some really big zero-days. Update: since this is getting down voted be skeptics, here are some sources for you https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/apple/apple-fixes-2-ios-zero-day-vulnerabilities-actively-used-in-attacks/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/apple/apple-fixes-2-io... https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-macos-zero-day-bug-exploited-by-shlayer-malware/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-m... https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-a-ios-zero-day-vulnerability-actively-used-in-attacks/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-a...
Saris 5y ago
I wonder how much of it is due to a walled garden, and how much of it is due to iOS devices getting security updates. It seems like even expensive flagship android devices get a year or maybe 2 of updates now and then you're just left on your own.

Here is an interesting (sad) story I read yesterday: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/06/1024621/china-apple-spy-uyghur-hacker-tianfu/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/05/06/1024621/china-ap...

toast0 5y ago

Apple doesn't have a spotless record with security. However, they are significantly better at pushing updates. A large majority of eligible iOS devices install OS updates, and iOS devices tend to be eligible for updates for many years. Additionally, because sales are much lower for iOS than Android, it's hard to get to the same scale. I don't know about iPad numbers, but 1 billion iPhones is about 5 years of sales, and five years is around where Apple stops providing updates (edit: as pointed out below, they're doing closer to 8 years from release now, but not all sales are from current model phones) and that combines with other factors and very few devices make it past five years of use.

pwdisswordfish0 5y ago
The 5s received iOS 12.5.1 in January, it was released Autumn 2013
gord288 5y ago
Just a few days ago, Apple issued a security update (iOS 12.5.3) for the iPhone 5s, a phone that first came out in Sept. 2013. Not bad huh?
GeekyBear 5y ago
> that combines with other factors and very few devices make it past five years of use The original version of the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s are six years old now. They run the current version of iOS and still work just fine.
- toast0 5y ago
  How many of those sold six years ago are still operating? My guess is many have had something go wrong to the point that they're no longer used.
  - hungryforcodes 5y ago
    The iPhone 6 and SE are still hugely popular in Asia. I see them everywhere, and there is a whole after market economy for repairs and parts replacement.
    - GeekyBear 5y ago
      They are also still hugely popular in the US. Even the performance under the current OS, six years later, is still fine. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-14-on-the-iphone-6s-and-se-performance-is-fine-other-stuff-is-not/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-14-on-the-iphone...

zibzab 5y ago

This sort of things happen all the time in both camps. It's just that Android security is more open and visible to ordinary people. Apple _just_ patched some really big zero-days. Update: since this is getting down voted be skeptics, here are some sources for you https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/apple/apple-fixes-2-ios-zero-day-vulnerabilities-actively-used-in-attacks/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/apple/apple-fixes-2-io... https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-macos-zero-day-bug-exploited-by-shlayer-malware/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-m... https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-a-ios-zero-day-vulnerability-actively-used-in-attacks/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-fixes-a...

Saris 5y ago

I wonder how much of it is due to a walled garden, and how much of it is due to iOS devices getting security updates. It seems like even expensive flagship android devices get a year or maybe 2 of updates now and then you're just left on your own.