Apple Platform Security
- Welcome
- Intro to Apple platform security
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- System security overview
- Signed system volume security
- Secure software updates
- Operating system integrity
- Activating data connections securely
- Verifying accessories
- BlastDoor for Messages and IDS
- Lockdown Mode security
- System security for watchOS
- Random number generation
- Apple Security Research Device
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- Services security overview
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- Apple Pay security overview
- Apple Pay component security
- How Apple Pay keeps users’ purchases protected
- Payment authorisation with Apple Pay
- Paying with cards using Apple Pay
- Contactless passes in Apple Pay
- Rendering cards unusable with Apple Pay
- Apple Card security
- Apple Cash security
- Tap to Pay on iPhone
- Secure Apple Messages for Business
- FaceTime security
- Glossary
- Document revision history
- Copyright
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Apple SoC security
Apple-designed silicon forms a common architecture across all Apple products and now powers Mac as well as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch. For over a decade, Apple’s world-class silicon design team has been building and refining Apple systems on chip (SoCs). The result is a scalable architecture designed for all devices that leads the industry in security capabilities. This common foundation for security features is only possible from a company that designs its own silicon to work with its software.
Apple silicon has been designed and fabricated to specifically enable the system security features detailed below.
Feature | A10 | A11, S3 | A12, A13, A14 S4–S9 | A15, A16, A17 | M1, M2, M3 |
See Note 1 below. | |||||
See Note 2 below. |
Note 1: Page Protection Layer (PPL) requires that the platform execute only signed and trusted code; this is a security model that isn’t applicable in macOS.
Note 2: Secure Page Table Monitor (SPTM) is supported on A15, A16 and A17 and replaces Page Protection Layer on supported platforms.
Apple-designed silicon also specifically enables the Data Protection capabilities detailed below.
Feature | A10, A11 S3 | A12–A17 S4–S9 M1, M2, M3 |
Alternate boots of DFU, Diagnostics and Update — Class A, B and C data protected |