On Wednesday, Apple warned iPhone users in 92 countries that they have been targeted by a possible spyware.
“Apple has identified that you are the target of a spyware attack that seeks to compromise the security of iPhone associated with Apple ID -xxx-,” the company said in a warning to affected users. “This attack appears to be targeting you based on your identity or activity. While it is impossible to be absolutely certain of detecting such attacks, Apple is very confident in this warning — please do not ignore it.”
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The iPhone maker has been sending out such alerts frequently over the years, informing users of similar threats in over 150 countries since 2021, according to an Apple support page.
In addition, the same warning was sent to several journalists and politicians in India last October. Then, Amnesty International, a non-profit human rights organization, revealed that it had detected the malware , from Israeli spyware maker Pegasus, installed on iPhones of journalists in India. (Indian users are among those who have recently received threat alerts from Apple, according to reliable sources.)
Warnings about spyware are appearing during a period in which many countries are preparing for electoral contests. In recent months, several technology companies have warned of increased efforts, sometimes supported by state mechanisms, aimed at influencing election results. Although Apple's warnings do not specify a timeline, they highlight the importance of vigilance against such threats.
"Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide further details about the reasons that led us to send you this notification. Providing more information may allow attackers using spyware to modify their tactics, which will help them avoid detection in the future," the company told affected customers.
Initially it shunned the hackers “state sponsors”, however, it has now replaced that term with “spyware attacks”.
The warning to customers emphasizes: “Spyware attacks, such as Pegasus from the NSO Group, are particularly unusual and belong to an advanced level beyond typical cybercrime or malicious software».
Read more: 14% of iPhones are now produced in India
Apple says it relies solely on “internal data and threat intelligence research” to identify the attacks. “While our research cannot provide absolute certainty, Apple’s security alerts are based on high-confidence data that indicates a user has been targeted by a spyware attack. Such alerts should be taken very seriously,” it says.
Source: techcrunch
