Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

Apple Sends Spyware Alerts to iPhone Users in 110 Countries, Putting Warnings on Lock Screens

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

Apple Sends Spyware Alerts to iPhone Users in 110 Countries, Putting Warnings on Lock Screens

Q: How can you tell if that terrifying spyware alert on your Lock Screen is real or a clever trap?

A real Apple spyware alert can be verified only through Apple’s own account page, not by trusting the pop-up, email, or text itself. Apple says genuine “threat notifications” now appear on the iPhone Lock Screen, in Settings, by email, and as a banner after you sign in at **account.apple.com**. If you get a frightening alert, the safest move is to ignore any links or phone numbers in it and manually type **account.apple.com** into your browser. If the warning is real, it should be clearly visible there after login. A fake alert usually gives itself away by asking you to do things Apple says it never asks for in these cases: click a link, open an attachment, install an app or profile, call a support number, or hand over your Apple Account password or verification code. Apple has explicitly warned that scammers are likely to imitate these notices to steal credentials. If the notification is genuine, Apple says treat it seriously even though it does not automatically mean your phone was hacked. It means Apple has high confidence you were individually targeted by a mercenary spyware campaign. Immediate steps include updating iOS, turning on Lockdown Mode, enabling two-factor authentication, reviewing devices signed in to your Apple Account, and being wary of follow-up calls, texts, or emails. Apple and outside security experts also advise affected users to seek specialist help, such as Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

Apple said it sent mercenary spyware threat notifications on Aug. 13 to targeted iPhone users in 110 countries, with the latest alerts now appearing directly on Lock Screens.
The company labels them high-confidence warnings of unusually sophisticated, individualized attacks, though a notification does not by itself mean spyware successfully infected the device.
Apple said genuine alerts also appear in Settings, on the Apple Account website after sign-in, and by email, and will never ask users to click links, install software, or share passwords or verification codes.
Lockdown Mode and immediate iOS updates are Apple's recommended next steps for recipients; the company has now notified users in more than 150 countries in total.
Apple said such attacks have historically targeted journalists, activists, politicians and diplomats, underscoring the global reach of the commercial and state-linked spyware market.