Apple products were, for a while, perceived as more secure than its Android counterparts. That perception definitely took a hit earlier in the decade, when the Pegasus spyware by the NSO Group made waves. But more recently, it looks like the bitten fruit brand’s iPhones and iPads are secure enough to handle classified NATO information.
The company made the announcement, highlighting that iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are secure enough to handle restricted data. No specific model was mentioned, so it’s likely more the operating system than the hardware themselves. These are also listed in the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue, but “with Indigo configuration”.
Though, “Indigo doesn’t require any special additional software or settings beyond managing and supervising devices using a device management service”. So it’s a tad strange that it’s being highlighted at all.
Apple also claims that iPhones and iPads are “the first and only consumer devices in compliance with the information assurance requirements of NATO nations”. That’s an arguable claim, as a report by All Things Digital highlighted a similar accolade achieved by the Blackberry 10. It’s a pretty old report, with the accolade being granted back in 2013.
Either way, this means iPhones can iPads are secure enough to handle classified info “without requiring special software or settings”. Pretty impressive for off-the-shelf consumer products. At least until another Pegasus comes along.
(Source: Apple, NATO, All Things Digital)
