Apple will be giving security researchers special iPhones for better testing of potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities. According to Forbes, Apple is expected to announce the program during the Black Hat security conference which will be held in Las Vegas.
These special iOS devices are considered ‘dev devices’ in that they aren’t as locked down as consumer models, which will allow researchers to do more, e.g., probe further down the iPhone’s operating system, stop processors and inspect for vulnerabilities.
iPhone prototypes are valuable in that they can be used for good or for bad. For security researchers, these pre-jailbroken iPhones can lead to faster fixes and location of serious bugs.
The Cupertino-based company is also expected to announce a bounty program for the macOS, where people can get rewarded for finding and reporting security vulnerabilities in the macOS platform.
Ivan Krstic, security engineering chief will be announcing a ‘Behind the Scenes’ details on the macOS and iOS front on Thursday.
