Apple has issued a warning to iPhone users across 98 countries about potential “mercenary spyware attacks,” reports TechCrunch. While iPhones are considered more secure than other phones, that alone doesn’t make them immune to such threats.
In fact, there have been numerous incidents in the past when Apple has issued similar warnings. Journalists and politicians have also received similar warnings from Apple. Notably, Apple issued a similar warning to over 92 countries in April.
Moreover, Apple doesn’t describe these alleged cyberattacks as “state-sponsored” and instead calls them “mercenary spyware attacks.” The former had become a topic of discussion, and Apple chose the safer path to avoid it. Apple relies on its in-house intelligence and investigation to spot these attacks and issue alerts.
According to TechCrunch, one of the targeted users received this text from Apple: “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 -xxx-,” adding, “This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously.”
The science behind why your iPhone could be under attack is simple. A company like Apple could be investing millions of dollars, while another company could be spending the same amount to find vulnerabilities in the system. These attacks are often targeted at businesspeople, politicians, journalists, lawyers, etc.
Of course, Apple puts significant effort into fixing these vulnerabilities as soon as they spot one, but generally, that can be a lengthy process. In the meantime, Apple issues alerts to users who might be at risk.