"It was a normal day when Jay Gibson got an unexpected notification on his iPhone. "Apple detected a targeted mercenary spyware attack against your iPhone," the message read. Ironically, Gibson used to work at companies that developed exactly the kind of spyware that could trigger such a notification. Still, he was shocked that he received a notification on his own phone. He called his father, turned off and put his phone away, and went to buy a new one."
"Gibson is just one of an ever-increasing number of people who are receiving notifications from companies like Apple, Google, and WhatsApp, all of which send similar warnings about spyware attacks to their users. Tech companies are increasingly proactive in alerting their users when they become targets of government hackers, and in particular those who use spyware made by companies such as Intellexa, NSO Group, and Paragon Solutions."
"First of all, take it seriously. These companies have reams of telemetry data about their users and what happens on both their devices and their online accounts. These tech giants have security teams that have been hunting, studying, and analyzing this type of malicious activity for years. If they think you have been targeted, they are probably right."
Users increasingly receive proactive warnings from companies such as Apple, Google, and WhatsApp when targeted by government hackers using mercenary spyware. Recipients may include people familiar with spyware technology, and recipients often react with alarm and immediate protective steps. The companies rely on extensive telemetry and dedicated security teams to detect attempts and inform users. Notifications can indicate an attempted intrusion even if the hack failed. After alerting users, the companies generally direct them to external help and do not actively manage remediation or ongoing response on their behalf.
Read at TechCrunch
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