Apple has warned again iPhone users in 98 countries about potential spyware attacks. This is the second time this year that the company has issued such a warning, after a similar one in April in 92 countries.
Apple has been sending notifications regularly since 2021. These notifications have reached users in over 150 countries, as stated in a support document on Apple’s website. The most recent warnings, released on Wednesday, did not reveal the identities of the attackers or the countries where users received the notifications.
“Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-,” the company wrote in the warning to affected customers, according to TechCrunch.
“This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously,” Apple added in the text.
Apple recently sent threat notifications to users in India. These notifications were received by several journalists and politicians in the country, as reported by user testimonials. Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy group, later found Pegasus, a highly invasive spyware developed by NSO Group, on the iPhones of prominent Indian journalists.
Apple emphasized the importance of its threat identification methods when informing affected users. They warned that providing more information could help attackers avoid detection in the future.
Apple has also made a notable shift in its language since last year, opting to describe these incidents as “mercenary spyware attacks” instead of the previously used term “state-sponsored” attacks.
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