Apple releases new iPhone and Mac updates to help protect against Spectre

iPhone X

Apple has released security updates for iOS, MacOS, and Safari that help protect against Spectre.
Spectre is one of two security flaws that were discovered in chips last week, which affect numerous devices running Intel and ARM components.
Amid releasing updates for both the Spectre and Meltdown flaws, Apple urges users not to download applications from sources outside of the App Store.

Apple has released security updates to safeguard several of its products from the recently discovered Spectre vulnerability. New software updates are available for iOS and macOS devices as well for the Safari browser.

The information security industry was rocked last week when two security flaws were discovered, dubbed "Spectre" and "Meltdown," which originated from chips made by Intel and ARM. The vulnerabilities can be found in a number of computing products released in the last two decades. Apple confirmed on Thursday that the security flaws also affected its iOS and Mac devices, and it was already working on software fixes to protect against the vulnerabilities.

The tech giant has not shared many details about its latest software update, outside of it being specific to the Spectre flaw. Apple has already released software patches for iOS (11.2), macOS (10.13.2), and tvOS (11.2) to address the Meltdown flaw.

In a statement on its blog, Apple recommended that iOS an Mac users refrain from downloading applications outside of the Apple App Store, as the real threat of Spectre and Meltdown comes when users install malicious applications.

There have been no confirmed cases of Apple devices been directly targeted by the Spectre or Meltdown flaws.

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