The iPhone 17 lineup has a new security enhancement called Memory Integrity Enforcement or MIE. Apple has collaborated with ARM to make this feature. It basically ensures there are no memory corruption issues on iPhones.
MIE creates tags for specific portions of the iPhone memory. Basically, only apps that have access to these tags can use the device's memory. Apps that lack the necessary tags will crash instead.
The iPhone 17. | Image Credit - Apple
Furthermore, there's also Tag Confidentiality Enforcement, which would keep attackers from getting access to these codes using side-channel attacks.
MIE is likely to cause serious trouble to spyware apps that rely on memory corruption. With this new protection system, it would become more difficult to break into an iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro, including with hardware-based tools.
Do you care about stronger iPhone security when choosing your next upgrade?
Absolutely — privacy is my #1 priority
88.46%
Maybe, but features matter more
11.54%
Not really — I don’t think much about it
0%
I’m not upgrading anytime soon
0%
Although MIE doesn't make the iPhone 17 completely immune to exploits, an anonymous security researcher claims that it's the closest thing right now to hack-proof tech that connects to the internet.
All in all, it is expected that spyware developers will struggle to offer exploits for the iPhone 17 for quite some time. Potentially, according to Matthias Frielingsdorf, the vice president of research at iVerify, the existence of the MIE tech can even drive some spyware makers off the market.
Although this doesn't necessarily mean that malicious users will give up altogether - they never do - but for sure, they will have a hard time with the iPhone 17 models.
I think this is awesome news. Apple prides itself on being privacy-focused, and now it's taken things up a notch with the iPhone 17 models. And yep, this is one more reason to upgrade to the iPhone 17, if you're in for an upgrade this year.
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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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