What are ‘Background Security Improvements’ on Apple devices?

Apple has a great reputation for platform security, one it has earned through consistent focus on keeping its operating systems secure.

However, as the number of threats against its platform grows, it needs to find ways to stay ahead. That’s why Apple’s latest iOS, iPadOS, and macOS updates enable a new security feature, Background Security Improvements. What do they mean to you?

What are Background Security Improvements?

Background Security Improvements replace the company’s existing “Rapid Security Response’”feature that provided security patches without needing to offer a full system update. 

It means you and your devices should always be protected against dangerous security vulnerabilities as they are identified. That’s good for all of us — and good for IT staffers, who will not need to spend time encouraging people to install vital security patches.

It’s a protective mantle that extends across Apple’s entire ecosystem, which is perhaps yet another reason to switch from the comparatively less secure Windows platform.

What do Background Security Improvements do?

Apple describes this feature as providing, “lightweight security releases for components such as the Safari browser, WebKit framework stack and other system libraries that benefit from smaller, ongoing security patches between software updates.”

The goal is to enable Apple to respond even more swiftly than it does already. 

Once it’s enabled:

Patches can install silently in the background without additional interaction.

Apple can remove faulty patches in the event of compatibility problems.

General information concerning security updates will be published on the Apple Support site after each release, along with CVE details, if any.

The protection means users can be certain their Apple devices are as secure as possible. That extends to improved protection against newly identified zero-day attacks, making Apple’s platforms far more resilient.

What you need to think about

The background nature of these security patches is good for most of us most of the time, though some users and certainly some MacOps professionals will want to disable the feature. There are, after all, many enterprises that need to test and approve software patches before they can be installed across their device fleets.

Admins need to ensure their MDM systems can accurately parse data on which updates have been installed across their fleets; hopefully, Declarative Device Management will be (or has already been) updated to provide IT with up-to-date information on this. They will want to be certain all devices have been updated, if company policy is to permit such updates. 

It’s worth noting that Apple also patched around 50 vulnerabilities within the same software update that introduced Background Security Improvements. This in itself should be food for thought for Apple users and Apple admins, as it shows the scale of the threat environment and reinforces the need for swift and timely security updates/

Will it work?

It is interesting to think about the tech Background Security Improvements replace, Rapid Security Responses. Those were only used a few times in 2023 and then not used again, so it is possible the company identified a problem in their implementation. 

There were reports of problems with the original implementation, including broken websites, installation failures, and exposure to unexpected system messages. Those problems have presumably been rectified with Background Security Improvements. If not, it is reassuring that in case of compatibility problems Apple can remotely remove a problem patch.

Turn it on (or off) again

You can enable this feature in Settings>Privacy & Security>Background Security Improvements, which should be set to Automatically Install.

If you switch the protection off, your device will not receive the security patches until they are included and made available within a subsequent software update.

Stay safe out there!

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