Apple releases iOS 11.4.1 for eligible devices introducing a USB Protected Mode

Apple has just released iOS, tvOS and watchOS version 11.4.1 for all devices eligible for the update. While most users are already looking forward to the release of iOS 12, Apple has just added a new security feature as part of the new update. [caption id=“attachment_4183135” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Apple iPhone 8. Image: Anirudh Regidi/Tech2[/caption] Referred to as USB Protected Mode, this security feature, as per a report by The Verge, ensures that USB devices being used by law enforcement authorities to evade Apple’s usual encryption safeguards are now locked out. The new security toggle can be found listed in the Settings panel under ‘Touch ID and Passcode’ (Face ID and Passcode for iPhone X users). The ‘USB Restricted Mode’ is turned off by default. Switching the toggle on will essentially make sure that once your iPad or iPhone is locked for over a straight hour, no USB accessory can be connected to the device. However, within a few hours of the release of iOS 11.4.1, researchers have already found out that Apple’s feature is not totally fool-proof. ElcomSoft’s Oleg Afonin in another report by The Verge mentions, “What we discovered is that iOS will reset the USB Restrictive Mode countdown timer even if one connects the iPhone to an untrusted USB accessory.” To explain things better in an example, he said, “Once a police officer seizes an iPhone, he or she would need to immediately connect that iPhone to a compatible USB accessory to prevent USB Restricted Mode lock after one hour.” Apart from introducing the USB Restricted Mode, iOS 11.4.1 mostly includes bug fixes for the Find My AirPods feature and syncing with Exchange accounts.