Apple’s new T2 security can prevent hackers from eavesdropping on MacBook

• This new security feature is capable of disconnecting the microphone whenever the lid of the MacBook is closed.
• It is designed to help protect the device’s encryption keys, storage, fingerprint data and secure boot features.

Apple has released a new T2 security chip as a part of a security enhancement that can prevent hackers from secretly recording users’ data from MacBook. This new security chip will come inbuilt in all upcoming notebooks to be released by the firm.

The new security feature is designed to disconnect the microphone whenever the lid of a MacBook is closed, thus preventing malicious entities from eavesdropping.

"All Mac portables with the Apple T2 Security Chip feature a hardware disconnect that ensures that the microphone is disabled whenever the lid is closed," said Apple in a white paper on T2 security chips. "This disconnect is implemented in hardware alone, and therefore prevents any software, even with root or kernel privileges in macOS, and even the software on the T2 chip, from engaging the microphone when the lid is closed."

What is T2 security chip?

T2 is a secure coprocessor embedded in modern Apple devices. It works alongside the main CPU and is used to handle encryption-related operations in a chipset. The new feature will help protect devices’ encryption keys, storage, fingerprint data and secure boot features.

The firm has embedded the security chip in the 2018 models of iMac Pro and MacBook Pro. However, the feature won’t be able on iMacs as they come without lids. Although the firm does not cover this security feature for all of its product, the introduction of T2 security chip is considered to be a good move towards preventing spying by malicious entities.