Apple has announced a ‘Lockdown Mode’ in its upcoming iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 software and the feature is to protect its users against spyware like Pegasus and other malicious software
Aimed at journalists, activists, and politicians, the feature that will be activated by default will assist users in saving themselves from targeted cyber attacks.
Israel-based company developed spyware dubbed Pegasus a few years ago and said that the objective aimed behind the software development was to help governments and law enforcement agencies conduct espionage on intended targets that are termed as a threat to National Security.
However, the spying tool reached the hands of a Saudi Prince who somehow circulated the malicious surveillance software among public dignitaries like Amazon boss Jeff Bezos for reasons.
To counter such spyware in the future, Apple Inc has introduced a feature called ‘Lockdown Mode’ that blocks attachments, disables links in messages, emails, and other services, and blocks invitations and face time calls from little-known sources.
Showing its commitment to offering utmost security to its users, Apple announced the launch of the Rapid Security Response feature that automatically patches exploits as soon as they are rolled out. The feature will be available to Mac devices and will not need a reboot for the application.
Note 1- In the year 2021, the American technology giant that produces the prestigious iPhone filed a lawsuit in a Californian court against NSO Group based in Israel. The company sought permission to block Pegasus from invading its products and is also asking for compensation for the damage that took place so far.
Note 2- In May this year, Google’s Threat Analysis team discovered a new spyware tool invading the Android ecosystem of mobiles. The tool’s name is Hermit and was developed by RCS Lab in the year 2021. Its aim is to target the mobiles of celebrities and transmit data intelligence from their mobiles to remote servers. And the information that is being sent to Command and Control Servers includes contacts, photos, videos, messages, and e-wallet-related data.
Note 3- Apple is also offering a $2 million reward for those who can find meaningful flaws in its Lockdown Mode and also announced that it will add the money gained from the lawsuit against NSO to the $10 million grant that will help businesses that analyze, mitigate and prevent highly sophisticated cyber attacks.
