Hello 2025…and goodbye 2024! It’s been an exciting first year hosting the Security Bite column on 9to5Mac. I had the privilege of talking with many leaders in the security industry and traveling to places I never thought I’d find myself. In October, I took to the column on the road–skies and tracks, too–traveling to Kyiv to meet with world-class security engineers and to attend Objective-See‘s Objective for the We v2.0 event. It was an experience I’ve yet been able to put into words—a story for another day.

I digress. In this final edition of Security Bite for fiscal 2024, I updated a story that I started working on in May of last year. Because Apple is continuously updating its XProtect suite to combat the latest malware trends, this piece will continue evolving.

Ever wonder what malware macOS can detect and remove without help from third-party software? Apple continuously adds new malware detection rules to Mac’s built-in XProtect suite. While most rule names (signatures) are obfuscated, with a bit of reversing engineering, security researchers can map them to their common industry names. See below what malware your Mac can remove!

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

Telegram verification is already available for public figures and bodies, but it’s now rolling out a new system where accounts can be verified by third-party organizations …

Sony has had the exclusive manufacturing contract for iPhone camera sensors for more than a decade, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year suggested this would be changing with the iPhone 18. This has now been backed by another report, which provides a little more detail.

The latest one says that Samsung is working on a 3-layer stacked camera sensor for Apple, which should improve the performance of future iPhone cameras …

Phishing attacks are about to get a whole lot more convincing. A new report warns that scammers are now using AI to scrape information about you from your online profiles in order to send hyper-personalized emails which target your login credentials.

By finding out everything from your employer to your interests, scammers can send emails which have a far greater chance of appearing to be genuine …

Many start the new year full of good intentions on the exercise front, and Apple is offering some encouragement through a homepage promotion of a free three-month trial of Apple Fitness+.

The offer itself isn’t new – it’s been available with the purchase of a new device since 2022 – but the homepage promo is clearly intended to tap into new year resolutions …

A leaker with a mixed track record has claimed that this year’s iPhone SE will be getting an upgraded name to reflect its new design: the iPhone 16E.

We are expecting the budget model to get its biggest ever upgrade this year, finally dropping the large chin with Home button for a modern form factor based on the iPhone 14 …

Apple has launched a rare Chinese New Year discount promotion in China, running from January 4 through January 7. This includes up to ~$70 savings on the , as well as discounts on other iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Pencil.

The atypical sales promotion on the latest iPhone 16 lineup arrives as investors question the stability of iPhone demand in the region. It may be interpreted as Apple feeling the pressure from domestic phone manufacturers like Huawei.

If you just got a new iPhone, there are lots of things you can do to make the most of the great cameras you now have in your pocket. I’ve selected some of the best camera and photo editing apps to help you enhance your shots from your iPhone. And even if you’re already a long-time iPhone user, it’s worth giving these apps a try.

Apple has a reputation for creating game-changing products. It’s done this in a variety of categories spanning its history of hardware, software, and services. But it’s natural to always seek out the next big thing. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook though, interestingly enough, has already told us what it is—and now it’s starting to take shape.

Apple released the first beta of iOS 18.3 two weeks ago. However, if you aren’t on the beta testing train, you shouldn’t have to wait much longer for Apple to release the update to everyone.

Here’s when to expect Apple to release iOS 18.3…

Apple Watch has always been a powerful device for tracking your health and fitness. But two recent changes in watchOS 11 have made it easier than ever to hit your goals. Here are the details.

For the vast majority of people, CarPlay is a must-have. Apple’s in-car experience provides a vastly superior infotainment experience than most options from carmakers. There’s quick access to your favorite apps, integration with Siri, seamless connectivity, and more.

Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for making sure you’re getting the most out of your CarPlay experience…

Vision Pro was chosen as 9to5Mac’s Product of the Year. But there’s still a lot Apple’s spatial computer has to prove heading into its second year. Here are three big coming upgrades that could lead to a breakout 2025 for Vision Pro.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Last Chance!: Save 20% on all 9to5Mac Daily Plus, 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus, and 9to5Mac Pro annual subscriptions with promo code HOLIDAY! Visit 9to5mac.com/join to sign up.

Apple TV+ had a strong year of original content in 2024, and it’s starting the new year with some big returning series and more. New seasons of Severance and Mythic Quest are clear highlights, but the conspiracy thriller Prime Target looks intriguing too. Here’s everything coming to Apple TV+ in January to kick off 2025.

I’ve been arguing that passwords are horrible for the best part of a decade now, and was an enthusiastic early adopter of the far better approach of passkeys.

Passkeys were supposed to achieve the holy grail of an approach which is both more secure than passwords and so easy to use that everyone would adopt them. But a new piece outlines four problems with the technology …

A US Army soldier has been arrested on suspicion of extorting money from AT&T and Verizon, following data breaches which saw a massive amount of customer data obtained.

The 20-year-old was arrested near the Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, on suspicion of being the cybercriminal known as Kiberphant0m – and statements by his mother aren’t likely to help …

CarPlay 2, aka next-generation CarPlay, was announced way back in the summer of 2022. At the time, Apple said that a list of supporting cars would be available in 2023, and two brands were later said to be launching in 2024.

Today is the last chance to hit that deadline, and Apple’s CarPlay webpage still carries that promise. Unless there’s a surprise announcement later today, the question is: Will the date be quietly changed to 2025, or is this project now dead in the water … ?

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

In this episode of Apple @ Work, I talk with Anil Gupta, co-founder and CTO of Wyebot Inc., about the move to DDM, Wi-Fi automation, and much more.

It’s been a while since Apple launched the new M4 Macs, and as more people get their hands on these computers, reports of unexpected issues surface on the web. Now there’s a group of users complaining about compatibility issues between M4 Macs and ultrawide monitors.