Apple Warns Users Of iPhone Spyware Attacks—What You Need To Know

Apple has been sending users warnings of suspected spyware attacks by way of an iPhone hacking notification system for years. The chances are that you didn’t know, especially if you’ve never received one. Here’s another surprise: Apple doesn’t offer to help but directs the victims to a non-profit organization instead. Here’s what you need to know.

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Apple’s iPhone Spyware Hacking Notification System Explained

If you were to get a notification from Apple warning you that spyware hackers were targeting your iPhone, you’d rightly be more than a little concerned. But how about if that warning didn’t offer direct help from Apple itself but rather directed you toward a non-profit organization for advice instead? That, not would appear, iOS precisely what has been happening according to a new report published in TechCrunch. An example of just such a notification was shared with the publication: “Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple Account. 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.”

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In a posting explaining the system, Apple said: “Since 2021, we have sent Apple threat notifications multiple times a year as we have detected these attacks, and to date we have notified users in over 150 countries in total.”

Why You Will Probably Never See An iPhone Spyware Warning

Confirming that the vast majority of iPhone users will, thankfully, never see such a notification, Apple explained that the notifications are designed to “inform and assist users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks,” and, importantly, have been so targeted “likely because of who they are or what they do.” With these kind of spyware hacking attacks being “vastly more complex” than your standard cybercriminal activity, and most consumer-facing malware, Apple said, “mercenary spyware attackers apply exceptional resources to target a very small number of specific individuals and their devices.”

The notifications themselves come in two parts: a threat notification after the user signs into their Apple account page and a combination of email and iMessage notifications sent to the addresses and phone numbers associated with that account.

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I have reached out to Apple for clarification as to why iPhone users are directed to contact a non-profit organization, Access Now, rather than its own security engineers.