Brussels – In a landmark decision, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has approved the use of Apple’s iPhone and iPad for handling classified information up to the “restricted” level, the alliance announced today. This marks the first time consumer mobile devices have been certified to process such data without requiring specialized software or security configurations.
The approval, following rigorous testing and evaluation led by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), extends to devices running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. According to Apple, the certification applies across all NATO nations. The BSI’s assessment focused on verifying that Apple’s built-in platform security capabilities met NATO’s exacting operational and assurance requirements.
“This achievement recognizes that Apple has transformed how security is traditionally delivered,” stated Ivan Krstić, Apple’s vice president of Security Engineering and Architecture. “Prior to iPhone, secure devices were only available to sophisticated government and enterprise organizations after a massive investment in bespoke security solutions. Instead, Apple has built the most secure devices in the world for all its users, and those same protections are now uniquely certified under assurance requirements for NATO nations — unlike any other device in the industry.”
The certification builds upon previous approvals granted to Apple devices for handling classified German government data, also assessed by the BSI. Apple highlighted key security features contributing to the approval, including best-in-class encryption, biometric authentication via Face ID, and Memory Integrity Enforcement. These features, designed into the hardware, software, and Apple silicon, are now recognized as meeting stringent international security standards.
The iPhone and iPad are now listed on the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue, a key step in the certification process, according to Krstić. The move allows NATO personnel to utilize familiar consumer technology for secure communications and data access, potentially streamlining operations and reducing reliance on specialized, often less user-friendly, secure devices.
Apple’s announcement did not detail specific operational changes within NATO resulting from the certification, nor did it specify the volume of classified data expected to be handled on the approved devices. NATO officials have not yet commented on the implications of the decision for future security protocols or device procurement strategies.
