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iPhone users warned they are specific target of spyware

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Spyware warning
Mercenary spyware is being used against iPhones.
Photo: Antoni Shkraba/Pexels

Mercenary spyware is being used to target specific iPhone users in almost 100 countries. Apple reportedly sent warnings to these people on Wednesday.

This is different from general warnings that all computer users need to be careful about malware. The individuals warned Wednesday are being targeted — probably for political reasons.

iPhone users get targeted by mercenary spyware for political reasons

Mercenary spyware like Pegasus is supposedly created for law enforcement to use against terrorists and other criminals. However, it’s regularly used by unscrupulous governments to hack the smartphones of activists, politicians, journalists and other individuals.

TechCrunch reports, “Apple sent threat notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries on Wednesday, warning them that may have been targeted by mercenary spyware attacks.”

The text of the message says, according to TechCrunch:

“Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID [NAME]. This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously.

“We are unable to provide more information about what caused us to send you this notification, as that may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future.”

The warnings are not unprecedented. They happen enough that there’s an Apple Support page explaining them.

How to protect against spyware

Anyone being specifically targeted by hackers should turn on iOS Lockdown Mode. It makes iPhones much more secure by limiting many types of functionality that can be exploited. That ranges from blocking attachments in the Messages app to disabling JavaScript in Safari and much more.

Lockdown Mode is far more than average users need, though. All we really should do is install iOS updates. Most of these include fixes for security holes used by spyware and other maleware.

Hackers simply love the people who urge iPhone users to not update their handset’s software because it might slow down performance. Of course, some of the people spreading the FUD are hackers who want easier access to iPhones.



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Apple Warns Users in 92 Countries About Mercenary Spyware Attacks

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Apple on Wednesday sent threat notifications to users in 92 countries warning that they may have been targeted by mercenary spyware attacks, likely because of who they are or what they do.

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According to TechCrunch, Apple sent the alerts to the individuals at 12 p.m. Pacific Time, delivered via email and iMessage using the contact details associated with the user’s Apple ID. A notification also appears at the top of the page if the user signs into appleid.apple.com.

“Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-,” the company wrote in the warning to affected customers. “We are unable to provide more information about what caused us to send you this notification, as that may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future.”

“This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously,” added the warning.

In an updated support document, Apple said it has sent similar threat notifications to users in over 150 countries since 2021. “The extreme cost, sophistication, and worldwide nature of mercenary spyware attacks makes them some of the most advanced digital threats in existence today,” said the company. “As a result, Apple does not attribute the attacks or resulting threat notifications to any specific attackers or geographical regions.”

Last October, Apple sent similar warnings to some journalists and politicians in India. Soon after, nonprofit advocacy group Amnesty International reported that it had found Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group’s invasive spyware Pegasus on the iPhones of prominent journalists in India. Users in India are among those who received the latest threat notifications, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to TechCrunch.

The alerts come at a time when many nations are preparing for democratic elections. Apple previously described the attackers as “state-sponsored” in the support document, but has replaced those references with “mercenary spyware attacks.” The warning to customers reads: “Mercenary spyware attacks, such as those using Pegasus from the NSO Group, are exceptionally rare and vastly more sophisticated than regular cybercriminal activity or consumer malware.”

Apple advises those who have received a threat notification to seek expert help, such as the rapid-response emergency security assistance provided by the Digital Security Helpline at the nonprofit Access Now. Apple threat notification recipients can contact the Digital Security Helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their website.

Users who have not received an Apple threat notification but have good reason to believe they may be individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks are advised to enable Lockdown Mode on their devices for additional protection.

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