Apple’s software chief faults Mac security to keep grip on iPhone app store

Apple Inc.’s top software engineer criticized the security of his own Mac operating system in a bid to explain why the company shouldn’t be forced by a judge to loosen its hold over iPhone and iPad app distribution, as Epic Games Inc. is demanding.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, testified Wednesday at a trial in federal court in Oakland, California, that his experience with imported malware on the macOS system shows how security would be eroded if the company allowed iPhone and iPad users to install software from the web or other stores, as it does on the Mac.