Overview
- Apple sent a large, high‑confidence wave of threat notifications on Thursday to users it believes may have been singled out by mercenary spyware in 110 countries.
- The company expanded how alerts appear this year so recipients see messages on the iPhone Lock Screen, in Settings, via the Apple account email, and as a banner on account.apple.com.
- Apple tells anyone who receives an alert to enable Lockdown Mode, update their device, use strong account protections, and contact Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline for rapid help, and the company says it has no record of a device being hacked while Lockdown Mode was on.
- Investigators reported a roughly 30–40% jump in helpline requests and a record number of public reports after the latest wave, a rise that could reflect either more attacks, or simply greater visibility from Apple’s new alert methods.
- Apple declined to attribute the notifications to specific attackers or share the technical triggers that prompt them, saying such details could help spyware operators refine their tactics; mercenary spyware is typically costly, narrowly targeted software sold to state customers and private vendors.