Secure intent and connections to the Secure Enclave

submited by

Style Pass

2021-05-28 21:00:09

Secure intent provides a way to confirm a user’s intent without any interaction with the operating system or Application Processor. The connection is a physical link—from a physical button to the Secure Enclave—that’s available in the following:

With this link, users can confirm their intent to complete an operation in a way designed such that even software running with root privileges or in the kernel can’t spoof.

This feature is used to confirm user intent during Apple Pay transactions and when finalizing pairing Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to a Mac with Apple silicon. A double-press on the appropriate button when prompted by the user interface signals confirmation of user intent. For more information, see Securing purchases with Apple Pay. A similar mechanism—based on the Secure Enclave and T2 firmware—is supported on MacBook models with the Apple T2 Security Chip and no Touch Bar .