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Apple is sending another alert to select iPhone users about spyware attacks.The new alerts, which come three months after the last round of warnings, caught the eye of security researchers and privacy groups. “Take them seriously. Get expert help,” tweeted John Scott-Railton, a researcher at spyware watchdog group Citizen Lab. According to TechCrunch, the iPhone maker alerted users in 98 countries. “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 warning reportedly says. It’s unclear what spyware was involved and how many iPhones it targeted. But mercenary spyware usually involves governments and law enforcement agencies trying to snoop on politicians, human rights activists, and lawyers, often via zero-click attacks. One of the most notorious mercenary spyware strains is Pegasus, which comes from an Israeli company that’s been sanctioned by the US government. In recent years, Pegasus has been found on phones belonging to journalists and even a member of the UK Prime Minister’s office.In a support document, Apple says the “vast majority of users will never be targeted by such attacks,” since mercenary spyware usually relies on rare software vulnerabilities that can cost millions to discover and develop. “Though deployed against a very small number of individuals—often journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats—mercenary spyware attacks are ongoing and global,” the company adds.
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Apple has been sending out spyware alerts to users since 2021. In April, it sent one out to consumers in 92 countries. To protect against spyware threats, Apple created a lockdown mode for iPhones, which disables certain features to block spyware attacks from successfully targeting the device. The company also suggests users update their Apple devices with the latest software versions and use multi-factor authentication across their accounts. Affected users can also consider contacting Access Now, a nonprofit that offers free help to protect users from digital threats.
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