Apple is gearing up to notify users in 92 countries including India about a potential exposure to a sophisticated “mercenary spyware” attack. This alert aims to help users stay safe from the threat.
According to a report by The Economic Times, Apple will issue a high-priority threat notification. This notification will emphasize the uncommon and highly advanced nature of such attacks, citing examples like Pegasus from Israel’s NSO Group.
The notification, seen by ET, stresses the seriousness of the situation. It highlights that these types of attacks are much rarer and more sophisticated than regular consumer malware. Apple mentions that targets of such attacks are chosen based on their identity and activities, often using their Apple ID.
Apple advises users to take the warning seriously, despite the challenges in identifying such attacks definitively. Additionally, Apple has updated its support page with steps for users to protect themselves if they suspect they may be targeted.
This is the second wave of threat notifications sent out by Apple globally. Previously, in October 2023, users in various countries, including India, received similar warnings about state-sponsored attacks on their devices. However, Apple did not specify the state actors behind these attacks.
Apple explains that state-sponsored attackers invest significant resources to meticulously target individuals and their devices, making detection and prevention challenging. Since 2021, Apple has sent these notifications to users in over 150 countries, withholding details about attackers to hinder their ability to adapt and evade detection.
Previously, both Apple and Google had issued warnings to users worldwide, including those in India, regarding potential remote compromises due to Pegasus spyware from the Israeli company NSO.
Apple has also suggested tips to keep iPhones safe from spyware which include keeping the device updated with latest software, use two factor authentication and strong password for Apple ID, download apps from App store only and not to open links from unknown sources and senders.
