At the Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference this year, during a security presentation, a date (January 1, 2017) was revealed by the company for all its apps to switch to a new important security feature, App Transport Security (ATS).
ATS or App Transport Security is a security feature that was introduced first in iOS 9. Once the ATS is enabled in an app, it will force the app to use the HTTPS to connect to web services instead of the traditional HTTP.
The ‘S’ in HTTPS stands for secure and refers to the security in web connections. You might have observed the HTTPS connection by this time now while browsing email or banking websites. When it comes to Mobile apps, it is tough to say whether the app is supporting HTTP or HTTPS as they aren’t transparent with users regarding their security measures.
Through ATS, the HTTPS is now available by default in iOS 9. However the developers have the privilege to turn it off now and the option to turn the HTTPS off will be available for the developers only till the end of the year.
Security is the most important asset in this digital age. So, this decision by Apple to force the apps to follow the HTTPS is certainly a huge stepping stone in achieving security in all the Apple devices.
Let us know your views on the Apple’s decision to enable HTTPS in its mobile apps in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Also Read: Top 10 free iPhone only apps that you will not find on Android
