If you’ve been putting off the update reminder on your iPhone, stop ignoring it now.
The operating system update to version 10.3.3, released three days ago by iphone-maker Apple, gets rid of the risk that an attacker could hack an iPhone via Wi-Fi.
All devices from the iPhone 5 and fourth generation iPad onward have the flawed chips, as does the sixth-generation iPod touch, according to reports.
Appleinsider.com described the fix on iOS 10.3.3 as closing a “crucial Wi-Fi vulnerability” called Broadpwn. The same security hole was patched by an update for Android devices earlier this month.
“The US National Institute of Standards and Technology has rated Broadpwn a 9.8 out of 10 on its severity scale,” appleinsider.com said.
iPhone users who don’t update to i)S 10.3.3. continue to be at risk that a hacker could remotely access the Broadcom Wi-Fi chip inside their smartphone, bypassing security features such as the passcode.
“The troubling bug only requires users’ iOS device to have Wi-Fi turned on for hackers to gain access to assume control of the phone’s processor – the central computer runs all the basic system instructions,” news.com.au explains.
To update your Apple phone or tablet’s operating system, you can go to Settings-General-Software Update.