Apple is leaving the iOS 10 kernel unencrypted... to increase security

Each new version of iOS is eagerly awaited, and at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) Apple unveiled a preview of iOS 10. Much has been made of the new features, but developers probing the operating system are making a surprising discovery. The kernel of iOS 10 is unencrypted.

In the current climate of security-awareness, this might seem like something of an unusual decision. But Apple says that the change has been made to improve performance, and it could even help to increase security.

In a statement to TechCrunch Apple sought to calm fears about the privacy implications of leaving the kernel unencrypted. A spokesperson said: "The kernel cache doesn’t contain any user info, and by unencrypting it we're able to optimize the operating system’s performance without compromising security".

While the previous decision to encrypt this section of the operating system would seem sensible, developers and security researchers have been left working in the dark. It has made security issues harder to unearth and this is potentially dangerous. The hope is that by leaving the kernel unencrypted, security flaws could be identified and fixed faster than ever before.

As well as the possibility of increasing security, laying bare the kernel also gives developers a rare insight into the inner working of iOS. The new level of transparency will also enable Apple to honestly answer any questions that people might have about government backdoors into its products -- or developers can just look for themselves.

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