As part of the latest iOS 18.1 update, Apple introduced a new feature, called ‘inactivity reboot’, designed to improve the security of devices by resetting an iPhone after a certain period of time without it being unlocked. The feature came to light after the Detroit police department saw certain iPhones in their custody would start rebooting themselves without any apparent user input, preventing any forensic investigations from being conducted. However, contrary to hypotheses presented earlier on, security researcher Jiska opined that this feature does not require two devices to talk to each other; it is rather a safety feature that is present in the system and activated without the device being used for a specified duration.
Inactivity Reboot and its Effects on Data for Police and Criminals
The Security architecture of Apple has two phases in as far as encrypted information is concerned: one is Before First Unlock (BFU) and the other is After First Unlock (AFU). In BFU mode, which is after restarting the phone, the iPhone allows only limited operations such as attending to calls. The phone then enters a state, which is referred to as AFU, where the user can activate functions such as Face ID or Touch ID, in which case accessing and using forensic tools to obtain content on the device is easy. The motion ‘inactivity reboot’ feature allows an iphone to be put back to BFU state, thus enhancing security especially from law enforcement and thieves who engage specialized unlocking devices on standby devices.
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More Security by Means of Inactivity
By incorporating the “inactivity reboot” feature, Apple bolsters its protection towards users by frequently placing the iPhone to its most secure mode when it is not in use. Such measures make it harder for any opportunistic individuals to access data on the device which is why the protection of the device is more apparent in the features offered with iOS 18.1.
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