iPhone's new Lockdown Mode

July 06, 2022

Apple is fighting back against state-sponsored mercenary spyware companies in a big way with a new Lockdown Mode for iPhone users.

It's for people who suspect they may be targeted by software like Pegasus, the tricky spyware developed by NSO Group.

Coming this fall with iOS 16, Lockdown Mode does what it says: It locks down the user's iPhone and disables common functions that make it susceptible to attack, like previewing links in Messages or running remote code in Safari.

In addition, Apple said it'll pay up to $2 million to hackers who find ways to bypass Lockdown Mode -- the biggest bounties in the industry.

The company is also donating $10 million -- plus any damages it may be awarded when its NSO Group lawsuit is decided -- to an antispyware group.

Although the number of iPhone users targeted by Pegasus and other spyware is small, the move shows Apple's commitment to protecting targeted journalists, dissidents and activists.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

Apple unveiled a new Lockdown Mode intended to protect the iPhones and other computers of journalists, politicians and activists who face “highly targeted cyberattacks from private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware.” The new security measure is only for extreme cases because it blocks commonly used features of messaging and web browsing.

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Tweets o' the day

One more thing ...

"The organization is clean and simple to understand, and very accountable. Everything just got simpler. That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains." -- Steve Jobs

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