As reported in techradar, Apple has apparently deleted the details about the change and created more confusion.
“According to reports, Apple made changes to the firmware of some of its processors in the fall of 2020 – but the alterations were reportedly never announced and apparently made mid-production. Spotted by Twitter user Andrew Pantyukhin, the changes were made to update the Secure Enclave component on the A12, A13, and S5 processors in Apple’s devices in the fall of 2020.
As its name suggests, the Secure Enclave is a secure co-processor, that handles keys and other sensitive information such as bio-metrics. It is isolated from the main processor in order to provide an extra layer of security. The Secure Enclave is shipped with certain versions of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch and HomePod”.
<p>There is a fine line between shouting about an update and quietly patching it under the radar often due to the seriousness of the risk involved. It is a good idea for tech companies to only mention updates once they are fully understood and controlled by the company in question to reduce the potential harm posed. Apple are likely to have suspected a threat to the hardware if this had got out, hence why it was kept under wraps. Biometric data is highly sought after by threat actors and pose a serious risk to users if this information is ever leaked so it is vital it is protected at the highest standard.</p>