Apple should make it more difficult for tools that illegally breach smartphones to operate.

(Reuters)- Apple announced on Wednesday that it will change iPhone settings to reduce the most common ways in which devices are illegally hacked.

The company said the measure aims to protect customers, especially in countries where phones are easily obtained by police or criminals with extensive resources, and to prevent the spread of the attack technique.

The tech industry's flagship privacy advocate said it will change the default settings in the iPhone's operating system to cut off communication through the USB port when the phone hasn't been unlocked in the last hour.

This loophole is how machines manufactured by forensic companies GrayShift, Cellebrite, and others connect and bypass security provisions that limit how many password attempts can be made before the device freezes or erases the data. Now they will not be able to execute the code on the devices after one hour.

Apple representatives said the change in settings will protect customers in countries where police seize and attempt to hack phones with fewer legal restrictions than under US law. They also said that criminals, spies, and malicious individuals often use the same techniques. Even some of the methods most valued by intelligence agencies have leaked onto the internet.

“We are constantly strengthening security protections across all Apple products to help customers defend against hackers, identity thieves, and intrusions into their personal data,” Apple said. “We have the utmost respect for law enforcement and do not design our security enhancements to frustrate their efforts.”