iPhone and iPad approved for handling classified NATO information
They are the first consumer devices to achieve compliance with Information Assurance requirements in this area
iPhone and iPad are the first consumer devices to achieve compliance with NATO Information Assurance requirements. The two Apple devices have been approved for use with classified information up to NATO Restricted level in Alliance countries.
The certification covers iPhones and iPads with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, now included in the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue. The approval allows the devices to be used in restricted environments without the need for additional software or dedicated configurations.
The green light comes after a technical assessment conducted by the German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, BSI), which had already authorised Apple devices for handling classified data of the German government. The audits included security tests, technical analyses and checks on the protection functions built into iOS and iPadOS, with the aim of ascertaining compliance with the operational and assurance requirements of NATO countries.
"A secure digital transformation is only possible if information security is considered right from mobile product development," said Claudia Plattner, President of the BSI. "By extending the BSI's rigorous security controls of iOS and iPadOS devices and platforms for use with classified German government information, we are happy to confirm compliance with NATO country assurance requirements."
Apple links the result to the integration of hardware, software and proprietary chips, citing encryption systems, biometric authentication with Face ID and memory protection features such as Memory Integrity Enforcement.
