The arrival of iOS 15 introduces enhancements to data security and privacy. We give a brief overview of the new iOS 15 security features.
On September 20, Apple released the fifteenth iteration of its iOS operating system. In addition to many new features that are mainly relevant to the private contexts, there are also improvements in the field of data protection, which are especially important for managed iPhones and iPads in the enterprise. The iOS 15 security features listed below in this short overview can only be used with an MDM solution, so the following applies to iOS 15 as it did prior to its release: If you want to ensure the highest level of security, the use of an MDM solution is a must.
Managed Pasteboard
If private iPhones or iPads are included in the company as part of a BYOD program, the separation of private and business data on the device is crucial. Otherwise, a breach of the EU-GDPR is practically unavoidable. With the Managed Pasteboard update in iOS 15, Apple closes a gap in data separation that previously could only be realized with open-in management and contact separation. When this iOS 15 security feature enabled, it is not possible to transfer work-related data from managed apps to private apps by copying and pasting. Here, unlike Android, Apple makes it possible to allow and/or prohibit both directions.
Declarative Device Management
Although this feature is more interesting for MDM vendors, the enhancement of the MDM protocol is good news for IT admins. Basically, it is expected that devices will be able to implement certain policies faster and more autonomously. This is made possible by speeding up the communication between the MDM system and devices. This will certainly benefit mobile device security in the future.
“Take Management” Prompt
Subsequent management of unmanaged private apps is also possible with iOS 15. If a user wants to register their device and unmanaged apps are already installed on the smartphone, they have to delete them before a new managed instance of the app can be pushed to the device. Now this step is no longer necessary, which not only saves time for end users and admins, but also speeds up the secure setup of all devices.
Temporary Sessions on Shared iPad
With extra little tweaks to the existing shared iPad feature, such as the ability to apply time out intervals for temporary sessions, iOS 15 improves security for this use case too.
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