Apple has issued a new round of cyber threat notifications to users across 84 countries, warning them that their devices may have been targeted by state-backed hacking attempts. These alerts are part of the tech giant’s latest steps in its ongoing efforts to safeguard customers from sophisticated surveillance and espionage attempts.
The warnings were originally reportedly issued on December 2, and Apple, like other major tech platforms, has committed to notifying users when its security research team determines they may be individually targeted by malicious actors often associated with government agencies.
The global scope of targeted surveillance
The recipients of these warnings are typically a small, highly specific group of users who are judged to be at extremely high risk of being targeted due to their public profile, profession, or geopolitical significance. This group often includes journalists, human rights activists, politicians, and diplomats. The nature of these attacks is characterised by the use of highly sophisticated exploits such as zero-click vulnerabilities, which are expensive to develop and are not commonly used against the general public.
Apple’s official statement provided minimal details about the specifics of the alleged hacking activity, including the number of users affected or the specific actors thought to be responsible for the surveillance attempts. The company maintains that withholding such details is necessary to prevent threat actors from adapting their tactics and to protect the privacy of the targeted individuals.
However, the company confirmed that, since launching this notification system, it has now alerted users in over 150 countries in total, highlighting the vast geographic spread of state-sponsored digital espionage.
Industry action and user protection
Apple’s action follows a broader trend among major technology companies, including Alphabet-owned Google, which also issued similar warnings to protect its user base recently. These notifications alert victims and expose their detection. According to digital watchdog groups, such warnings are often the initial step in investigations that can lead to accountability regarding the abuse of commercial spyware.
Previous waves of alerts have triggered significant international attention, including prompting official inquiries by government bodies. For instance, the European Union has previously investigated cases where its senior officials were notified that they were targeted using powerful commercial spyware.
For users who receive such an alert, Apple recommends taking immediate protective measures, such as enabling Lockdown Mode on the iPhone, a feature designed to offer extreme, optional protection for the few users who face targeted threats to their digital security. The company advises that official threat notifications will always be visible by manually signing into the user’s Apple ID account online, and will never ask a user to click a link or install software.
