Apple has sent threat notifications to users in 110 countries, warning that they may have been individually targeted by highly sophisticated mercenary spyware attacks.
The company did not disclose which countries were affected or provide details about the specific threats behind the latest notifications. Unlike typical cyberattacks, these operations are generally aimed at a small number of specific people and their devices. The alerts were sent on August 13, Apple confirmed to USA T oday on August 14.
Apple says attackers can have access to exceptional resources, and such spyware campaigns can cost millions of dollars.
What should users do after receiving the alert?
For the latest round, Apple confirmed that notifications went to users in 110 countries, but it has not publicly identified the countries or disclosed the identities or categories of those targeted. Lockdown Mode is available on devices running iOS 16 or later. One of the most important steps is enabling Lockdown Mode, an optional security feature designed to provide an extreme level of protection against sophisticated digital attacks. It restricts or limits certain apps, websites and device features that could potentially be exploited.
Apple says genuine threat notifications can appear in several places, including as a push alert on a user’s device, within the Settings app, by email to addresses associated with the Apple Account and as a banner at the top of the user’s Apple Account page.
