Rabat – Apple has issued a new wave of threat notifications to users it believes may have been targeted by sophisticated spyware capable of compromising iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
The company sent the latest alerts to users across 110 countries, adding to more than 150 countries where Apple says it has issued similar warnings over time.
The notifications are aimed at raising awareness of so-called mercenary spyware, surveillance tools that are often linked to government-backed operations.
Apple has also updated the way these warnings appear. Users may receive a notification directly on their iPhone lock screen, along with additional alerts by email and when signing into their Apple accounts.
The warning states that Apple has detected a spyware attack targeting the user’s iPhone and recommends taking immediate steps to secure the device and personal data.
Apple stresses that receiving a threat notification does not necessarily mean a device was successfully compromised. However, the company advises affected users to take the warning seriously and follow its security recommendations.
Among those recommendations is enabling Lockdown Mode, an optional security feature designed to significantly reduce the attack surface of Apple devices and make highly sophisticated spyware attacks more difficult to carry out.
While spyware attacks remain relatively uncommon, the growing availability of advanced surveillance tools has raised concerns over their use against journalists, activists, civil society members, and other individuals targeted by powerful actors.
Apple’s latest warnings underline the increasingly global reach of these tools, and the growing focus on helping potential targets recognize and respond to sophisticated digital threats.
