It is unclear how many people have received the threat notification from Apple.
Tech giant Apple on Thursday sent threat notifications to select users in 92 countries, including some in India at 12:30 AM IST, who may have been targeted using ‘mercenary spyware’ like Pegasus from the NSO Group. The company has sent out this alert previously as well, and does so, when it detects major intrusion in iPhone and other devices. The company said, “today’s notification is being sent to targeted users in 92 countries, and to date we have notified users in over 150 countries in total,” which includes iPhone users from India as well. “Apple sends an email and iMessage notification to the email addresses and phone numbers associated with the user’s Apple ID,” the company explained.
“ALERT: 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 . This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do,” the notification email reads that affected iPhone users have received.
According to an Apple support document, it relies solely on internal threat-Intelligence information and investigations to detect such attacks. Since 2021, the company has sent threat notifications multiple times a year as it detected these attacks, and to date, “we have notified users in over 150 countries in total,” according to the company’s support document.
“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. These attacks cost millions of dollars and are individually deployed against a very small number of people, but the targeting is ongoing and global,” Apple said in its threat notification.
If you have received an Apple threat notification
Apple threat notification recipients can contact the Digital Security Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through their website. Outside organisations do not have any information about what caused Apple to send a threat notification, but they can assist targeted users with tailored security advice.
“Apple recommends that you immediately take these actions: enable Lockdown Mode right now on your iPhone in Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode. This feature takes only a moment to turn on and offers the strongest protection for users like you who are individually targeted by the most sophisticated digital threats.”
All users should continue to protect themselves from general cybercriminals and consumer malware by following best practices for security:
- Update devices to the latest software, as that includes the latest security fixes
- Protect devices with a passcode
- Use two-factor authentication and a strong password for Apple ID
- Install apps from the App Store
- Use strong and unique passwords online
- Don’t click on links or attachments from unknown senders
It is unclear how many people have received the threat notification from Apple.