Apple's new iOS 7.0 operating system "doesn't address the dangers" in malicious apps, and Apple has supplied scant details on new anti-virus and anti-malware features in its new mobile operating system, according to application security testing company Veracode.
Senior security architect for EMEA at Veracode, John Smith, praised Apple for having "clearly made security a priority in iOS 7.0 with new features that address privacy concerns in the browser and extend the use of encryption into VoIP [voice over IP]," but said that users themselves are still "generally the weakest link when it comes to password management".
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Smith said that automatic updates for apps, while they will ensure that users are always running the most recent version of software, is "a good thing", but registered concern that there were apparently no new features in this regard to "address the dangers associated with apps that exhibit risky behaviours".
"While Apple claims to have implemented features that reduce the risk of malware and viruses, the details are thin on the ground at the moment," said Smith.
Since iOS 7.0's public availability late yesterday, Apple's servers were besieged with download requests, making connections impossible for many users.
While the successfully downloaded operating system seems to be working acceptably for the main part, reports of missing files from Apple's cloud, app incompatibility, random screen locking and even iOS 7.0 disallowing incoming and outgoing phone calls have all been reported.
