Apple stands up to Pegasus, the spyware from the Israeli company NSO Group. The technology giant, which has sued this company accusing it of attacking victims in 150 countries with its powerful spywarehas announced a new security feature to protect iPhone, iPad and Mac users from highly targeted spyware cyberattacks.
The move comes after Apple devices owned by politicians, journalists, businessmen and activists, among them the cell phone of the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and other Catalan politicians, were infected with the aforementioned spyware.
The feature, called Lockdown Mode, will be available this fall with the company’s iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and MacOS Ventura operating systems) and will create a barrier against sophisticated spyware, such as Pegasus, which are normally used at the government level to spy on people with high political and social profiles. These spyware can infect both iPhones and Android devices, allowing their exploiters to extract messages, photos, emails, record calls, and secretly activate microphones and cameras.
Although Apple launched last July, once the scope of the action was known Pegasus, an emergency software update for all your devices to prevent your customers from being spied on, is now when the Cupertino company launches this lock mode as a broader security feature. It claims to be able to protect devices from all over the world. spyware currently known on the market.
At its launch, the isolation mode includes different protections, which will mean giving up some features offered by Apple devices. One has to do with the messages, well most non-image attachments will be blocked and some features like link preview will be disabled. Another refers to web browsing, since certain complex web technologies, such as just-in-time compilation of JavaScript, will be disabled unless the user excludes a trusted site.
The other two measures have to do with wired connections to a computer or accessories that will be blocked when the iPhone is locked, and with video calls. Thus, incoming invitations, including FaceTime calls, will be blocked if the user has not previously sent a request or call to the initiator.
Apple has also pointed out that new configuration profiles will not be able to be installed and the device will also not be able to access mobile device management (MDM).
Blocking or isolation mode will be optional. It will be off by default and can be turned on and off at will. Apple has assured that it will continue to add new protection measures over time.
“While the vast majority of users will never fall victim to highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who do,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s chief of security engineering and architecture. The iPhone maker has suggested that it should only be activated if someone is at risk of what it calls “hack attacks.” spyware mercenary”, for example, a journalist or an opposition leader in a repressive regime.
The apple company has announced that it will allocate 10 million euros to a fund that helps organizations that investigate, reveal and prevent this type of cyberattack. Apple is also doubling the reward it offers ethical hackers who discover security flaws in its isolation mode to $2 million.
In November, US authorities placed NSO Group on a trade blacklist. This company has also been sued by WhatsAppwhich accuses her of using the messaging service as a vehicle to spread Pegasus.
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