According to the company, iPhone and iPad are the first and only consumer devices compliant with NATO information assurance requirements. The approval allows the devices to be used with classified information without requiring additional software or special configurations.
The certification builds on a prior decision by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, or BSI, which approved iPhone and iPad for handling classified German government data using native iOS and iPadOS security features. Now, devices running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are certified for use with NATO Restricted information across all NATO member states.
As part of the process, BSI conducted technical assessments, comprehensive testing, and detailed security analysis of Apple’s platform security capabilities. The evaluation confirmed that the built-in hardware and software protections met NATO nations’ operational and assurance requirements.
“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.”
Apple said its approach integrates security across hardware, software, and Apple silicon, providing protections such as encryption, biometric authentication with Face ID, and Memory Integrity Enforcement. These features are now formally recognized as meeting international security standards for restricted data.
The certification places iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 on the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue. Apple described the listing as a significant milestone for its mobile platforms.
“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,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s vice president of Security Engineering and Architecture. “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.”
