iPad & iPhone User - USA (2020-03)

SECURITY SPECIAL

proving one’s identity continue to depend on the

infrastructure of email.

As it happens, Apple does support an email

encryption standard called S/MIME on iOS and macOS,

but it’s not enabled by default – and setting it up

requires some fairly technical know-how involving

certificate generation and installing profiles that’s

frankly beyond the capabilities or interests of most

average users. It seems, though, that if Apple really

wanted to push for more secure email, it certainly has

the clout to do so – at least between users of its mail

service and perhaps even, with some cooperation,

between big mail providers such as Google and

Microsoft too. The basics of the tools are already

there; they just need to be implemented.

Apple’s iCloud security

overview states that though

traffic between your Apple

devices and the iCloud Mail

system is encrypted

SECURITY SPECIAL

provingone’sidentitycontinuetodependonthe

infrastructureofemail.

Asithappens,Appledoessupportanemail

encryptionstandardcalledS/MIMEoniOSandmacOS,

butit’snotenabledbydefault–andsettingitup

requiressomefairlytechnicalknow-howinvolving

certificategenerationandinstallingprofilesthat’s

franklybeyondthecapabilitiesorinterestsofmost

averageusers.Itseems,though,thatifApplereally

wantedtopushformoresecureemail,itcertainlyhas

theclouttodoso–atleastbetweenusersofitsmail

serviceandperhapseven,withsomecooperation,

betweenbigmailproviderssuchasGoogleand

Microsofttoo.Thebasicsofthetoolsarealready

there; theyjustneedtobeimplemented.

Apple’s iCloud security

overview states that though

traffic between your Apple

devices and the iCloud Mail

system is encrypted