Apple Facing Potential iOS Security Issues, Says Kaspersky CTO

Apple’s tight grip of the iOS ecosystem can lead to security risks, according to Kaspersky Chief Technology Officer, Nikolay Grebennikov.

In a discussion with Computing, Grebennikov said "Apple simply can't continue with its current closed approach, and in my opinion, to remain competitive it should be looking to open up its platform within a year."

He brings up Google’s Android operating system which, as opposed to Apple’s iOS, is open to many more parties.

"The Android platform, which is growing its market share, is much more open than the Apple iOS and it's easier to create new applications for Android, including security software," said Grebennikov.

But why does Kaspersky’s CTO mention security when iOS malware is close to inexistent.

Since its release in 2007, there have been no reported attacks on stock iOS versions. Only jailbroken (hacked) versions have been prone to attacks, and even those weren’t too scary.

Well, according to Grebennikov, it’s just a matter of time before iOS gets its first taste of real malware.

"Apple is the only protector of its iPhone and iPad users but they don't know the real situation with threats,” he said.

"It's not possible to create the products they create, and be a world leader in security too; that expertise is elsewhere," Grebennikov added.

Of course, there could just as well be another side to this story.

Kaspersky develops anti malware programs. It sells them to make a living, but the iOS is off limits to them, because of certain policies enforced by Apple.

An anti-malware solution on iOS would, in fact, kick start attacks.

It’s true however, that iOS cannot remain untouched by hackers forever. As shown on the Mac OS front, once a platform gains traction, it’s only a matter of time before the first piece of malware emerges targeting it.