NATO says iPhones are secure enough to handle classified data
TL;DR
NATO has approved iPhones and iPads running iOS/iPadOS 26 to handle its lowest level of classified information without extra software, similar to BlackBerry 10's 2013 approval.
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The iPhone and iPad have been approved to hold NATO-restricted information, according to an announcement on Thursday. That means off-the-shelf devices running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 can handle classified information "without requiring special software or settings," Apple says.
The NATO-restricted designation is the lowest level of classified information, and it applies to information that would be "disadvantageous to the interests of NATO" if disclosed, according to a security document posted by the Marines. BlackBerry 10 phones similarly received approval to hold this level of classified information in 2013.
Following an "extensive evaluati …