{"id":38493,"date":"2022-07-07T06:48:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T06:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/archives\/38493"},"modified":"2022-07-07T06:48:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T06:48:00","slug":"amid-nso-lawsuit-apple-expands-spyware-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/?p=38493","title":{"rendered":"Amid NSO lawsuit, Apple expands spyware protections"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/amid-nso-lawsuit-apple-expands-spyware-protections.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>Apple has previewed a new security feature \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/newsroom\/2022\/07\/apple-expands-commitment-to-protect-users-from-mercenary-spyware\/\">Lockdown Mode<\/a> \u2013 designed to offer specialised protections for users at high risk of targeted cyber attacks by private companies developing state-sponsored \u201cmercenary\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/ezine\/Computer-Weekly\/The-spies-who-hack-you-the-growing-threat-of-spyware\">spyware<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lockdown Mode will become available later this year on devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and is described as the first major capability of its kind to offer \u201cextreme, optional protection\u201d for users who face the gravest threats to their digital security.<\/p>\n<p>When it becomes available, it will harden device defences and limit a number of functions to reduce the attack surface. Initial features will include the ability to:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"default-list\">\n<li>Block most message attachments and disable link previews.<\/li>\n<li>Disable some complex web technologies, such as just-in-time JavaScript compilation, unless used by a user-trusted website.<\/li>\n<li>Block incoming invitations and service requests, such as FaceTime calls.<\/li>\n<li>Block wired connections with computers or other accessories when a mobile device is locked.<\/li>\n<li>Block the installation of configuration profiles when Lockdown Mode is switched on \u2013 also, it will not be possible to enroll the device into any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/searchmobilecomputing\/definition\/mobile-device-management\">mobile device management<\/a> (MDM) service in such circumstances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cApple makes the most secure mobile devices on the market,\u201d said Ivan Krsti\u0107, Apple\u2019s head of security engineering and architecture. \u201cLockdown Mode is a groundbreaking capability that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting users from even the rarest, most sophisticated attacks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyber attacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are. That includes continuing to design defences specifically for these users, as well as supporting researchers and organisations around the world doing critically important work in exposing mercenary companies that create these digital attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Krsti\u0107 said Apple would continue to strengthen the feature over time, and to help it do so, the firm is setting up a new category within its existing bug bounty programme to encourage hackers to try their luck at bypassing it. Bounties will be doubled for qualifying findings, up to a maximum of $2m.<\/p>\n<p>The addition of Lockdown Mode comes after Apple devices were hacked by multiple governments in countries around the world and used to spy on targets such as activists, journalists and political rivals using a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/searchsecurity\/definition\/RAT-remote-access-Trojan\">remote access trojan<\/a> (RAT) called Pegasus, which was developed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252504149\/Pegasus-mobile-RAT-abused-to-monitor-journalists-and-activists\">disgraced Israeli spyware company NSO Group<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252509980\/Apple-sues-under-fire-malware-firm-NSO\">Apple is currently suing NSO Group over its actions<\/a>, which were exposed in 2021 by a group of investigative journalists, and says that if its lawsuit is successful, it will use any damages awarded to top up a $10m grant \u2013 announced at the same time as Lockdown Mode \u2013 supporting organisations that investigate, expose and prevent targeted cyber attacks, including those created by companies such as NSO Group. This grant will be disbursed through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fordfoundation.org\/about\/about-ford\/our-origins\/\">Ford Foundation\u2019s Dignity and Justice Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe global spyware trade targets human rights defenders, journalists and dissidents; it facilitates violence, reinforces authoritarianism and supports political repression,\u201d said Lori McGlinchey,&nbsp; director of the Ford Foundation\u2019s technology and society programme.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Ford Foundation is proud to support this extraordinary initiative to bolster civil society research and advocacy to resist mercenary spyware. We must build on Apple\u2019s commitment, and we invite companies and donors to join the Dignity and Justice Fund and bring additional resources to this collective fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ron Deibert, director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/citizenlab.ca\/\">University of Toronto\u2019s Citizen Lab<\/a>, which was instrumental in exposing NSO Group\u2019s malfeasance, added: \u201cThere is now undeniable evidence from the research of the Citizen Lab and other organisations that the mercenary surveillance industry is facilitating the spread of authoritarian practices and massive human rights abuses worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI applaud Apple for establishing this important grant, which will send a strong message and help nurture independent researchers and advocacy organisations holding mercenary spyware vendors accountable for the harms they are inflicting on innocent people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple has previewed a new security feature \u2013 Lockdown Mode \u2013 designed to offer specialised protections for users at high risk of targeted cyber attacks by private companies developing state-sponsored \u201cmercenary\u201d spyware. Lockdown Mode will become available later this year on devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, and is described as the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[533],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-it"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cloudnewshub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}