Apple has issued a new round of threat notifications to customers it believes may have been targeted by mercenary spyware attacks. The company confirmed that it recently alerted an unspecified number of users across 110 countries, highlighting the continued global reach of sophisticated spyware campaigns. According to Apple, it has now notified customers in more than 150 countries since it introduced its threat notification system in late 2021. The latest alerts reflect the company’s ongoing efforts to inform users who may have been singled out by highly advanced surveillance operations.
In a statement shared with TechCrunch, Apple described mercenary spyware attacks as some of the most advanced digital threats currently in existence due to their high cost, technical sophistication and worldwide scope. The company explained that these attacks are typically carried out against individuals because of who they are or the work they perform, rather than being part of broad cybercrime campaigns. Journalists, activists, politicians and diplomats are among the people who are commonly targeted. Apple also emphasized that it does not attribute these attacks or its threat notifications to any specific attacker, spyware vendor or geographic region. The company said it intentionally does not disclose the technical indicators that trigger its alerts because revealing such information could help spyware operators refine their methods and evade future detection. Apple stated that its threat notifications represent high confidence warnings that a user has been individually targeted and advised recipients to treat the alerts seriously.
The company said users who receive these notifications are informed through multiple official channels to ensure they are aware of the potential threat. A threat notification appears directly on the affected iPhone through the Lock Screen and the Settings application. Apple also sends an email to the addresses associated with the user’s Apple Account using the official sender address threat-notifications@email.apple.com. In addition, a warning banner is displayed at the top of the user’s Apple Account page after signing in to account.apple.com. Apple noted that these notifications are reserved for a very small number of individuals whose devices are believed to have been specifically targeted by mercenary spyware rather than by common malware or routine cybercriminal activity. Such attacks often involve significant financial resources and sophisticated exploits designed to secretly compromise devices and collect sensitive information.
To reduce the risk of compromise, Apple recommends that users keep their devices updated with the latest software releases and secure them with a passcode, Touch ID or Face ID. The company also advises enabling two factor authentication for Apple Accounts, turning on Stolen Device Protection, using Lockdown Mode when appropriate and installing applications only from trusted sources. Users are further encouraged to avoid opening links or attachments received from unknown senders, as these may be used to deliver malicious content. Apple said following these security measures can strengthen device protection while helping users defend against increasingly sophisticated spyware threats that continue to target selected individuals around the world.
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