Apple this week updated its Platform Security Guide to provide more details on a couple of recently announced authentication features.
Apple’s Platform Security Guide contains detailed technical information on the security technologies and features implemented in its products. The first guide was released in 2015, but it only covered the iOS operating system. In its current form, the guide also provides information on macOS and hardware.
The May 2021 update to the Platform Security Guide focuses on two topics: Touch ID on the iMac’s Magic Keyboard, and the iPhone unlock with Apple Watch feature in iOS 14.5. Both these authentication features were announced by Apple in April.
In the case of Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard, the security guide update specifies how the secure channel is established between the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and the Secure Enclave in iMac with M1 chips.
As for the iPhone unlock with Apple Watch feature in iOS 14.5, the guide provides more details on the cryptography behind the feature, as well as more information on the security parameters that govern its use.
In February, Apple announced the biggest update ever to its Platform Security Guide — the company added nearly 50 pages to the document compared to the previous version.
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