SAEDNEWS: Apple has issued a new wave of spyware warnings to users in 110 countries, alerting people who may have been targeted with spyware commonly associated with government surveillance. The company urges recipients to take protective steps, including considering Lockdown Mode.
According to SaedNews: Apple has sent a fresh round of security notifications to customers it believes may have been targeted by spyware capable of compromising their devices. The company periodically issues these warnings to people whose iPhones, iPads or Macs may have been targeted with spyware often used by governments.
Apple told TechCrunch that Thursday’s notifications went to users in 110 countries. The company says it has now warned customers in more than 150 countries, offering an indication of the global reach of government-used surveillance spyware.
Apple’s latest support guidance says affected users will receive a push notification directly on their iPhone lock screen telling them to take action. The company also said it has redesigned the notification experience to make it easier for recipients to find information about the steps they should take.
The warning states: “Apple detected a mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to protect your data and device.”
The company also delivers these alerts through email and when users sign in to their Apple accounts.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the digital research group Citizen Lab, was among the first to point out the latest notifications in a post on X.
Anyone who receives such an alert should treat it as a serious security warning. It does not necessarily mean the device was successfully hacked, but Apple recommends taking immediate measures to protect both the device and its data.
The notification provides guidance on where users can seek assistance and recommends enabling Lockdown Mode, a security feature designed to make spyware attacks considerably harder to carry out. Apple has said it has not identified a case in which a device was successfully hacked with spyware while Lockdown Mode was active.
Spyware attacks remain relatively uncommon, but the wider availability of surveillance technology in recent years has enabled governments to deploy it against critics and members of civil society.
Scott-Railton told TechCrunch that Apple’s newer notifications represent a “big improvement” in encouraging targeted people to seek help and secure their devices. Apple introduced spyware alerts in 2021.
“Notifications create a critical signal that a community is being targeted,” Scott-Railton said, explaining that an alert can prompt recipients to seek assistance, sometimes leading to investigations that uncover many additional cases.
Pointing to the ongoing scandal in Poland involving the former government’s alleged use of spyware against political rivals, Scott-Railton said Apple’s warnings were crucial to exposing the abuse. Without them, he said, “that entire massive scandal about spyware abuse in the Polish election wouldn’t have been uncovered.”
