Today, Apple announced that the iPhone and iPad have become the first consumer devices approved for use on classified NATO networks. This means an off-the-shelf iPhone running iOS 26 can access restricted NATO data without requiring any specialized security software or custom hardware modifications.
In a statement to 9to5Mac, Ivan Krstić, Apple’s vice president of Security Engineering and Architecture, said:
“This achievement recognizes that Apple has transformed how security is traditionally delivered. 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.”
How Apple achieved NATO certification
For many certifications like this, it is not just about a new operating system being released. It is a long, ongoing process. iPhone and iPad previously received approval to handle classified German government data using native iOS and iPadOS security measures. This came after an extensive evaluation, technical assessments, and deep security analysis by the German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, or BSI). Now, building on that rigorous BSI approval, iPhone and iPad running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are officially certified for such use across all NATO nations.
Following that initial success, Apple took the next step. Devices running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are now officially listed on the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue. This certification relies on the core security features already built into every modern iPhone and iPad:
- Best in class encryption
- Biometric authentication with Face ID and Touch ID
- Memory Integrity Enforcement is baked into Apple Silicon
“Secure digital transformation is only successful if information security is considered from the beginning in the development of mobile products,” said Claudia Plattner, BSI’s president. “Expanding on BSI’s rigorous audit of iOS and iPadOS platform and device security for use in classified German information environments, we are pleased to confirm the compliance under NATO nations’ assurance requirements.”
9to5Mac’s take
While most of us will never need to access NATO-restricted data, this certification matters. It validates the security architecture of the iPhone and iPad. Similar to when an organization achieves FedRAMP ATO for US government contracts, its enterprise and commercial customers gain additional confidence in the company’s security posture. The fact that Apple has achieved this certification with its “stock” iPhone and iPad hardware, without additional security software, is a testament to the incredible work Apple has done to build a robust security program while maintaining an excellent end-user experience.
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