Security News > 2024 > April > Apple Alerts iPhone Users in 92 Countries to Mercenary Spyware Attacks

Apple sent a threat notification to iPhone users in 92 countries on April 10 informing them that their device was "Being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack." The alert, sent at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, told recipients that the attackers were attempting to "Remotely compromise" their phone and that they were likely being targeted specifically "Because of who you are or what you do." Apple's notification did not identify the alleged attackers, nor did it specify the locations of its recipients.

iPhone users who have received the mercenary spyware attack alert should enlist expert cybersecurity help, Apple stated on its dedicated support page.

According to the Apple support page, individually targeted attacks of this nature "Have historically been associated with state actors, including private companies developing mercenary spyware on their behalf, such as Pegasus from the NSO Group."

Apple added that mercenary spyware attacks are "Vastly more complex" than typical malware attacks and "Cost millions of dollars" to deploy due to an exceptional amount of resources being used against a small group.

Apple said its threat notifications are "Designed to inform and assist users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks." The notifications do not necessarily mean that spyware has been successfully implanted in the user's device.

The tech giant said it uses "Internal threat-intelligence information and investigations" to detect mercenary spyware attacks, but cannot reveal exactly what triggers a threat notification "As that may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future."

News URL

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/apple-threat-notifications-mercenary-spyware/