‘Unprecedented’ number of Apple users received recent spyware alert, say investigators
ds these types of alerts in batches to customers that it believes have been either targeted or compromised with malware normally used by governments, which the company refers to as “mercenary spyware.” In the last few years, Apple says it has alerted people in more than 150 countries. The latest batch appears to have been the largest yet, … The post ‘Unprecedented’ number of Apple users received…
Investigators have reported an "unprecedented" surge in Apple users receiving alerts about potential spyware attacks, according to digital rights groups. The latest batch of alerts appears to be the largest yet, with one group receiving around 30% to 40% more inquiries than usual following Apple's notifications. Mohammed Al-Maskati, director of the Access Now team, stated that they have received reports from people in more than 150 countries, with many of these individuals having previously received similar threat notifications. Cybersecurity firm iVerify also confirmed an influx of threat notifications from Apple.
One Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, told TechCrunch that he initially thought the notification was a scam but verified it with Apple. He said he and other military personnel have received the same notification and expressed surprise at being targeted. The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine did not respond to inquiries regarding other Ukrainians receiving these notifications.
Senior researcher John Scott-Railton from The Citizen Lab, a digital rights group, noted that the reports suggest spyware attacks may be more widespread than previously thought. He added that the sheer number of public posts about receiving notifications indicates a significant issue. Both Al-Maskati and Scott-Railton attributed the increased volume of alerts to Apple's new notification methods, which now include lock screen notifications, a dedicated Settings app, an email alert, and a web login notification.
Al-Maskati suggested that this new approach has raised awareness of the issue, making it less likely for users to ignore the notifications.
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