Apple alerted a number of Indian political leaders this morning, cautioning them about a potential “state-sponsored attack.” Apple has already alerted people in 150 countries to a potential threat that looks similar. According to the alert, there may be state-sponsored attackers attempting to gain access to Apple devices in order to remotely access private information or even the camera and microphone. Apple’s danger alerts are intended to warn and assist users who might be attacked by state-sponsored actors. These people are singled out because of who they are or what they do. State-backed hackers, in contrast to traditional cybercriminals, invest a great deal of resources to target a small number of people and their devices, which makes it very difficult to detect and thwart these attacks. Attacks supported by the state are complex and costly to create, and often short-lived.
Attackers with state sponsorship are highly skilled and well-funded, and their strategies change over time. Such attacks are detected via threat intelligence signals, which are frequently insufficient and inaccurate. Apple states that there’s a chance that some of its security alerts are false alarms or that some attacks go undetected.
How safe are iPhones?
Although no gadget is completely safe, this series of signals that Apple has been sending out is evidence that Apple products may be safer than the majority of other handsets available. These notifications show how seriously Apple takes its claims that privacy and security are of the highest importance. As an example of how secure Apple’s products are, the hacker alert may even be the company’s greatest marketing campaign. Manufacturers rarely warn customers about potential remote breaches. It is conceivable that numerous Android smartphones could have been accessed without the owners’ knowledge, even if it is impossible to confirm; those devices just gave up and did not issue any alerts.
But how does Apple’s security work?
Similar to this instance, Apple alerts targeted individuals through email and iMessage anytime it finds activity that appears to be part of a state-sponsored attack. The same notification also appears at the top of the iCloud account page.
Basically, this message indicates that there might be an attempt to gain access to your Apple device. Having said that, the likelihood of this happening to you is quite low, particularly if you are not a powerful person. “The vast majority of users will never be targeted by such attacks,” according to Apple as well.
Apple claims that by disclosing the reason and mechanism of this security system, it will enable the attackers to avoid detection. Apple claims that it cannot disclose the reasons for its security alerts since doing so may enable state-sponsored attackers to modify their tactics and avoid detection in the future.
What’s the next step after you receive a threat notification?
Apple offers some tips for consumers to safeguard their devices and data in the email and iMessage notifications it sends out, as well as on its help page regarding the threat notification. It would advise changing passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, enabling Lockdown mode, and creating a new Apple ID.
What is lockdown mode?
With iOS 16, the functionality known as lockdown mode was introduced. It works with Macs, Apple Watch, iPads, and iPhones. The purpose of the feature was to place your gadget in a state of extreme protection, which would severely restrict its functionality and cause it to stop functioning normally. Apple describes the feature as follows: “Some apps, websites, and features will be strictly limited for security, and some experiences may not be available at all. This is to reduce the attack surface that could potentially be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware.”
Users will essentially be unable to use services like iMessage, web browsing, FaceTime, Photos, Apple services, and Wi-Fi when the lockdown mode is activated. Users will be limited to using SOS emergency alerts, calls, and SMS.
Lockdown mode can be enabled from Settings > Privacy and Security > Lockdown Mode.
Beware of fake threat notifications
During a time such as this, when the threat alert is the most talked about, numerous hackers would be plotting to use the circumstances. It is crucial that you pay closer attention to these notifications than you ever have because of this.
Secondly, Check to see if you also notice the notification by going to your iCloud account. As soon as you log in, it ought to appear at the top of the page.
Thirdly, Apple will never provide you files, links, or instructions to upload an application. Apple cautions, “Apple threat notifications will never ask you to open files, install apps or profiles, click any links, or provide your Apple ID password or verification code by phone or email.”