They are targeted and currently affect users in 92 countries worldwide. The attacks apparently use commercially available spyware.
Apple is currently warning of one Wave of spyware attacks on iPhone users. The people behind it specifically target individuals in a total of 92 countries worldwide. As the Economic Times reports, the company has informed victims that they have been “affected by a spyware attack that attempts to remotely compromise the iPhone.”
In the email, Apple notes that it cannot identify possible victims with absolute certainty. However, there is a lot of trust in the warning, which is why users should take it seriously. It also says that those affected were specifically selected based on their activities.
Apple takes such measures if the company believes that users are threatened by commercial spy software. The company also provides information on how such attacks work on a support page. It also describes how potential victims should behave if they are affected by an attack.
Such attacks are typically carried out by or on behalf of nation-states and target individuals such as journalists, activists, politicians and diplomats. The goal is often to get revenge on someone for an action or statement, especially if it is directed against a government, political leader, or other authority.
“It is really important to know that commercial spyware, unlike others, is deliberately designed with advanced capabilities, including zero-day exploits, complex obfuscation techniques and self-destruct mechanisms, which make them very effective and difficult to detect,” said Krishna Vishnubhotla, VP of Product Strategy at security provider Zimperium, told ZDNet.com. “The key to success is stealth. The developers of commercial spyware go to great lengths to remove any evidence that could link the software to them or their customers.”
To protect against such attacks, Apple recommends protecting iPhones with a passcode. A strong password and two-factor authentication should also be used for an Apple ID. Additionally, Apple always recommends installing the latest version of iOS and using unique and strong passwords for all online accounts.
In addition, Apple offers a lockdown mode that disables or restricts important functions and settings. This is to prevent spyware from stealing confidential data.