Yves Herman | Reuters Apple announced a new feature for iPhones called Lockdown Mode on Wednesday to protect high-profile users such as politicians and activists from state-sponsored hackers. Lockdown mode disables many functions on the iPhone in order to make it less vulnerable to spyware, greatly reducing the number of functions that attackers can access and potentially hack. Specifically, it disables many preview features in iMessage, restricts JavaScript in the Safari browser, prevents installation of new configuration profiles, blocks wired connections — thus preventing device data from being copied — and terminates incoming Apple service requests, including FaceTime. The tech giant will pay up to $2 million to researchers who find a security flaw in Lockdown Mode. The announcement comes months after revelations that state-sponsored hackers were able to hack into late-model iPhones with “zero-click” attacks delivered via text messages. These attacks can be successful even if the victim does not click on a link. The iPhone maker has faced growing calls from governments to address the issue. In March, US lawmakers pressed Apple on the details of the attack, including whether it could track them, how many had been discovered and when and where they happened. Most hackers are financially motivated, and most malware is designed to get a user to give up valuable information, such as a password, or give the attacker access to financial accounts. But the government attacks that Lockdown Mode targets are different: They use very expensive tools sold directly to law enforcement agencies or sovereign governments and use undiscovered bugs to gain a foothold in the iPhone’s operating system. From there, attackers can do things like control the user’s microphone and camera, and steal the user’s browsing and communication history. Lockdown Mode is intended for the small number of people who believe they might be targeted by a state-sponsored hacker and need an extreme level of security. Victims targeted by military-grade spyware include journalists, human rights activists and business executives, according to the Washington Post. The spyware has also reportedly been used to target public officials, including a French minister and Catalan separatist leaders in Spain. “While the vast majority of users will never fall victim to highly targeted cyber attacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of security engineering and architecture. Zoom Icon Arrows pointing out
Pegasus
There are several types of mercenary spyware, but the most well-known version is Pegasus, which was developed by the NSO Group in Israel. Recently, researchers at the University of Toronto and Amnesty International discovered and documented versions of this type of spyware targeting iPhones. The NSO Group has previously stated that its technology is legitimately used by governments to fight pedophiles and terrorists. The NSO Group is unpopular with major tech companies, especially Apple, which markets its devices as more secure than the competition. Apple sued NSO Group last year, saying it was malicious and harmed Apple’s business. Facebook parent Meta is also suing NSO Group over its alleged attempts to hack WhatsApp. Last November, the US Commerce Department blacklisted NSO Group, preventing US companies from doing business with it, one of the strongest measures the US government can take to crack down on foreign companies. Apple says the vast majority of its 1 billion iPhone users will never be targeted. Mercenary spyware like Pegasus can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Apple says, so the tools are valuable and only used to target a small number of users. As new versions of spyware are discovered, Apple fixes the bugs it uses, rendering the original exploits ineffective and forcing vendors like NSO Group to reshape how their tools work. The lock feature won’t be on by default, but can be turned on from the iPhone’s settings with a single tap, Apple said. It will also be available for iPad and Mac. The new feature will be available for testing in a beta version of iOS this week ahead of its planned wide release in the fall.
