That Apple is synonymous with privacy and security is something we already knew. During product, service, and software presentations, the company emphasizes the protections they offer us. However, with the new iPad Pro M4, there’s a security system that we knew nothing about.
A new “Secure Exclave” to support security
As Guilherme Rambo discovered, the iPad Pro M4 incorporates a security improvement related to microphone and camera use indicators. Rambo explained on Mastodon that the iPad Pro M4 is the first device to support and use the new Secure Indicator Light mechanism. “When using the microphone or camera, the corresponding point indicator is rendered in the hardware, significantly reducing the possibility of any malware or user-space application accessing those sensors without the user’s knowledge.”
Since autumn of 2020, with the release of iOS 14, Apple has been using small orange and green dots that appear when the camera or microphone are activated, in order to alert us about the activity of these functions. Until now, those indicators were linked to software triggers. Now that the security system has been on the Mac for years, the indicators are linked to the hardware.
It’s a significantly higher level of security —although the current system has never shown much vulnerability— and an advancement made possible by a new component called ‘Secure Exclave’, which is integrated into the M4 chip. According to this publication, the new security protocol is only present in the iPad Pro M4, although it’s sure to be extended to other devices, like the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro and other Mac models with the M4 chip —which we do not expect at WWDC 2024. It’s an implementation that underscores the importance of being able to know what’s happening on our devices at all times. If we’re talking about access to our device’s camera or microphone, it’s that much more important.
