Cybersecurity 101: Is There Anti-Malware for Apple Phones and Tablets?

Many readers have asked for opinions on anti-malware tools for iOS and iPadOS (Apple’s operating systems for phones and tablets, respectively). The truth of the matter is that there aren’t any antivirus or anti-malware tools that function on Apple mobile devices in the same way as we’re all used to on Windows, MacOS, or Linux devices. That is not to say that there are no options for defensive controls, they just don’t do the same things as anti-malware tools do on other devices. Let’s dig into this topic.

First things first, mobile devices are indeed vulnerable to attack.

Both Android and iOS/iPadOS are susceptible to being attacked by threat actors.  The attack surface created by mobile devices accessing company resources (like email, file systems, etc.) shouldn’t be discounted in any way.  While it is true that Apple mobile devices are much more difficult to directly attack, they’re just as vulnerable to social engineering, exploitation of vulnerabilities, and other forms of attack as Android devices are.  Apple devices can also get stuck with malware that slips through Apple’s review process in the App Store - it’s rare, but it has absolutely happened.  Outdated iOS or iPadOS software may also contain vulnerabilities that threat actors can leverage to gain access to otherwise locked-off areas of the device. While there are advocates of Apple products who will - even to this day - say that Apple mobile devices don’t have viruses (and that’s true in an extremely strict technical sense), both Apple and Android devices are an attack surface for any organization - so you do need to defend them.

What’s different between Android and Apple mobile?

Android devices, by default, allow for a user to install software from multiple sources - including just directly downloading an app from any website. Of course this can be changed to prevent unauthorized app installations (see the information about Mobile Device Management below). Android also has somewhat fewer restrictions than Apple mobile devices do when it comes to what permissions and access an app can obtain as the user uses it. Alphabet has done a tremendous amount of work to change that in recent years, so the gap between the two mobile platforms is very quickly closing in that regard. 

Apple, again by default, only permits installation of apps from the Apple App Store. While organizations can choose to install custom applications, this isn’t something that cannot happen without significant device management and control, as well as the organization setting up infrastructure specifically to support this operation. Apple also utilizes a set of “enclaves” - separations between different operations on the phone or tablet.  For example, applications cannot access data from other applications without explicitly asking for permission, and no apps get to access the cryptographic security components of the device directly at all.

To be very clear here, both methodologies have both positives and negatives from user experience and security perspectives. One is not objectively “better” than the other - they simply work differently and therefore present different security exposures to an organization. Android makes it much easier to allow organizations to distribute their own applications, while Apple makes it much easier to control and secure the device itself.  This also means Android is more susceptible to rogue applications getting installed, and Apple makes it almost impossible to scan for malware like we would on any laptop or desktop. 

So, how do you protect Apple devices?

While anti-malware (in the sense of what we do on desktops and servers) isn’t possible to run on Apple mobile devices, there are absolutely things that an organization can do in order to limit the attack surface of Apple mobile devices being used by employees.

The most common are:

1. Restricting access by mobile devices. This is the most straight-forward, but also the most limiting to your users. You can say that organizational resources like email systems and company web applications can only be accessed by managed devices.  This includes laptops, desktops, servers, and other resources that are part of an Active Directory, EntraID, or Google Workspace domain; or may be using tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) combined with settings which only allow a user to connect if they’re on the VPN.  Restriction alone isn’t a total security solution, so it must be used with other tools to protect the organization. A rogue application will also be able to communicate over a VPN, so that by itself still leaves gaps.

   
   

   Organizations can also restrict access to web-based applications by requiring the use of a Secure Browser (Island Browser, Prisma Access Browser, etc.). These tools allow the organization to strictly regulate what applications and data the user can access, how they can use it, how it can be shared (or not shared) with mobile apps, etc. 

2. Mobile Device Management (MDM). Tools like Microsoft InTune, Jamf, and others allow organizations to control mobile devices.  This includes restricting what settings can be changed, when updates happen, what apps can be installed, and many other configuration options. The drawback is that the organization now has total control over the mobile device, which may cause significant friction with users - especially if they’re being asked to give up control of a device that they personally own. Different vendors offer different levels of direct device control, and it is possible to combine MDM with other methods to produce a light-touch approach while still restricting the users’ access to organizational systems.

3. Network controls. Multiple security controls for organizational networks can also be brought to bear for use in mobile security.  We touched on VPN’s above, but there are also Secure Service Edge (SSE) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) tools like Prisma Access and Zscaler that have mobile clients for Apple (and Android). By setting up SSL decryption, these tools can scan all network traffic moving into or out of the device for known malware, phishing links, attempts to download apps on Android, and a whole host of other things that happen as the device is communicating with the outside world. 

4. Some EDR/XDR platforms. While this is really more of tools like CrowdStrike and SentinelOne performing the methods above, if you are using the enterprise versions of many EDR/XDR platforms you can have them provide mobile security as well.  Most will provide SSL decrypting VPN connectivity and analyze things like if the device has been modified (“jailbroken”) or if specific permissions have been changed in a way that weakens device security.  For the most impact, these tools must be combined with some form of MDM, but can provide a much lighter touch than full device management would require. This means that these solutions can be more palatable to users who have permission to use their personal devices for work purposes. For Android devices, many of these tools can act very closely to how they act on laptops and desktops, but they are more limited on Apple mobile devices due to iOS/iPadOS restrictions.

Your organization will most likely use a combination of these tools and techniques to create a security framework that works both to protect the organization and is acceptable to end-users even if they’re using their own personal devices. It is not uncommon, for example, to have an MDM solution install a device profile on an iPhone which simply checks to make sure the device is up to date and has a strong passcode combined with FaceID/TouchID.  Access to email is limited to just the official apps from Microsoft (Outlook) and/or Gmail, but those platforms are configured to restrict the apps from downloading organization files onto the mobile device.  A Secure Browser allows access to organization web-apps, and restricts downloading any organizational data to the device or sharing it with other apps. This allows users a measure of privacy for their personal devices, but also ensures that a compromised device will be of extremely limited use to a threat actor and will be very easy to cut off from all access once the incursion is discovered. 

Summing it up

Apple mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, etc.) are susceptible to threat activity. While they cannot be impacted by “viruses” in the traditional sense, they most definitely can be leveraged by a threat actor through social engineering, apps that access organizational data in an unapproved way, or just a user or Apple themselves making mistakes. While there are no “anti-malware” tools that work on Apple mobile the way they can work on Android or laptops and other devices, there are options to allow for the safe use of Apple mobile devices. A combination of tools and techniques can be brought to bear to allow users to utilize mobile devices while not exposing the organization to a large attack surface increase at the same time.

About the Author:

Michael DeNapoli is a seasoned Senior Solutions Architect with more than 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, solution architecture, and enterprise systems design. Throughout his career, he has led technical strategy, security architecture, and advanced solution development for organizations ranging from emerging security vendors to global enterprises. Michael’s expertise spans cybersecurity operations, cloud architecture, technical sales leadership, security posture management, and identity protection, with a proven track record of guiding clients through complex technology challenges. Today, he brings his deep industry knowledge to Pondurance as a Senior Solutions Architect, helping organizations strengthen their security foundations with clarity and confidence.