If one day you see a notification from Apple on your iPhone saying, "Spyware Attack Detected," take it seriously.

Apple has warned some users that they may have been targeted by advanced commercial spyware; tools that the company says are typically associated with state actors.

These attacks are very limited but targeted, primarily aiming at journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats. Apple states that over the past few years, it has warned users in more than 150 countries about such attacks, but has not identified a specific actor or country responsible.

One well-known example of this spyware is Pegasus, developed by the Israeli company NSO Group.

The issue goes beyond just reading messages; some spyware can monitor device activity and even track what the user is typing in real-time.

Apple recommends that users keep their device's operating system up to date, enable two-factor authentication, and turn on the stolen device protection feature.

At the same time, a new report from Kaspersky has reminded that the belief in "Apple products being safer" should not lead Mac and iPhone users to take cybersecurity lightly; as malware and phishing can target users of both operating systems.
Source: National News