Attackers targeting you because of who you are or what you do:Apple warns Oppn leaders

 State-sponsored attackers targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do: Apple warns Oppn leaders

PTI, New Delhi, Oct 31, 2023 :  Several opposition leaders who have received an alert on their phones that State-sponsored attackers are targeting them have been warned by Apple that the attackers are possibly picking on them individually because of “who you are or what you do”.

Apple has warned the politicians that if their devices are compromised by a State- sponsored attacker, they might be able to remotely access their sensitive data, communications or even the camera and microphone.

“While it’s possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously,” Apple warned in the mail shared by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on X.

Several opposition leaders claimed on Tuesday that they have received an alert from Apple, warning them of “State-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise” their iPhones and alleged hacking by the government, a charge Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rejected but ordered a thorough probe.

On August 23, the tech giant said on its website that Apple threat notifications are designed to inform and assist users who may have been targeted by State-sponsored attackers.

In the mail as well as on its website, Apple warned that “these attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do”.

Unlike traditional cybercriminals, Apple warned that State-sponsored attackers apply exceptional resources to target a very small number of specific individuals and their devices, which makes these attacks much harder to detect and prevent.

“State-sponsored attacks are highly complex, cost millions of dollars to develop and often have a short shelf life. The vast majority of users will never be targeted by such attacks,” it said on its website.

Those who received such notifications included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Tharoor, Pawan Khera, K C Venugopal, Supriya Shrinate, Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and some aides of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi have also received the notification.

In its mail to the opposition leaders, Apple has warned that some State-sponsored attacks require “no interaction from you, and others rely on tricking you into clicking a malicious link or opening an attachment in an email, SMS or other message”.

“These attempts can be quite convincing, ranging from fake package-tracking updates to custom-crafted, emotional appeals claiming a named family member is in danger. Be cautious with all links you receive and don’t open any links or attachments…,” it said.

The tech giant further said it is unable to provide more information about what led it to send this notification to the opposition leaders as that may help the State- sponsored attackers alter their behaviour to evade detection in the future