Tech giant Apple has issued a series of cautionary alerts to users in 91 countries, including India, regarding the potential threat of ‘mercenary spyware,’ reminiscent of the controversial Pegasus malware.
These recent notifications, also reaching users in India, aim to alert owners about potential risks to their privacy and data security.
The move echoes a similar action taken by Apple in October 2023 when it sent notifications to political leaders in India, including figures from various parties such as Shashi Tharoor of Congress, Raghav Chadha of Aam Aadmi Party, and Mahua Moitra of Trinamool Congress. The alert warned of a possible “state-sponsored spyware attack” targeting their iPhones.
This concern over spyware stems from previous investigations, notably by the Supreme Court of India, which in 2021 formed a committee of technical experts to probe allegations of unauthorized surveillance through the Pegasus software developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group. In August 2022, the committee concluded that while the spyware was not found in the 29 mobile phones examined, malware was detected in five others.
Citing public reporting and research by various entities, Apple highlighted that individually targeted attacks of such high complexity have historically been associated with state actors and private companies developing mercenary spyware, such as Pegasus by the NSO Group.
Although these attacks are aimed at a very small number of individuals, often journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats, they remain ongoing and have a global reach.
Since 2021, Apple has been sending out threat notifications multiple times a year as it detects these attacks, having reached users in over 150 countries in total.
The company emphasized the sophistication and global nature of mercenary spyware attacks, describing them as among the most advanced digital threats today. However, it refrained from attributing the attacks or resulting threat notifications to specific attackers or geographical regions.
In the wake of these alerts, Apple provided users with additional steps to help protect their devices, including enabling Lockdown Mode and regularly updating their devices with the latest security patches. Users were also advised to exercise caution when interacting with suspicious links or messages.
The issuance of these warnings underscores the growing concern over digital security threats and the need for proactive measures to safeguard personal information and privacy in an increasingly interconnected world.
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