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by John W. Simek, Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.

So Much for Security – Siri Reveals Hidden Notifications

March 26, 2018

Everyone should have a lock code for their smartphone to prevent unauthorized access to data. If you are an iPhone user, locking your device doesn't protect your hidden notifications. A current bug in iOS 11 (there have been so many) allows Siri to read your notifications even when the phone is locked. Naked Security identified how your iPhone needs to be configured in order for Siri to reveal your data.

  • Siri turned on.
  • Siri enabled on your lockscreen.
  • Siri set to activate when you say "Hey, Siri."
  • One or more messaging apps set to Allow Notifications.
  • Those apps set to Show Previews When Unlocked.

In a rare moment, Apple has admitted there is a problem and is working on a solution. In the interim, you can always just turn off Siri, turn off Siri on the lockscreen or just turn off notification previews altogether. Frankly, I'm not sure why any of those items would be enabled to begin with.

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