Washington, June 30 (QNA) - Apple said it will begin releasing security updates earlier than planned, abandoning its longstanding practice of bundling many security fixes with major iOS software updates in response to growing cybersecurity risks driven by artificial intelligence.
The company said AI is accelerating the development of malicious hacking tools, prompting it to shorten the time between publicly disclosing security fixes and delivering them to users. The move marks a significant shift in Apple's software update strategy, reflecting concerns that attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities more quickly.
Under Apple's previous approach, security patches were typically released alongside major iOS updates -- such as the transition from iOS 26.5 to iOS 26.6 -- following an extended beta testing period for developers and other users.
Instead, Apple said it has made its latest round of security updates available to users ahead of the broader release of iOS 26.6.
The company said there is no evidence that any of the newly patched vulnerabilities have been exploited, but stressed that the window between announcing security fixes and deploying them to users must be shortened to reduce potential risks. (QNA)