Apple sends urgent alert to iPhone users in over 100 countries.

Apple warned that this attack was a serious threat, and hinted that the spyware behind it was Pegasus – a tool developed by NSO Group, a controversial Israeli cybersecurity company.

Pegasus was exposed for its ability to deeply infiltrate iPhone devices without any user intervention, allowing governments to monitor and extract sensitive data from journalists, opposition politicians, human rights lawyers, and other influential individuals.

The confrontation between Apple and NSO Group is nothing new. Since 2021, Apple has implemented a system of "threat notifications" sent to users suspected of being targets of state-sponsored attacks.

These campaigns target a small number of users, but they are very sophisticated and difficult to detect. Alerts are often sent via email, iMessage, and displayed on the individual's Apple ID page.

As of recently, at least two individuals have publicly confirmed receiving warnings from Apple. One of them is Italian journalist Ciro Pellegrino of Fanpage.it.

He stated that he received a text message and email from Apple, informing him that his iPhone may have been compromised by spyware. In his article, Pellegrino revealed that this warning was sent by Apple to users in over 100 countries, a scale unprecedented in previous alerts.

The second confirmed case is Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch political activist, who publicly posted her warning on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

In the video she posted, she showed a screenshot of a notification from Apple that read: “Apple has detected a mercenary spyware attack targeting your iPhone.”

This attack could be carried out because of who you are or because of the work you do. While we cannot guarantee the detection of such attacks, Apple strongly believes in the accuracy of this warning, so please take it seriously.”

Vlaardingerbroek wrote in his post: “Yesterday, I received a threatening alert from Apple, confirming that my iPhone is being targeted by mercenary spyware, most likely Pegasus. Someone is trying to intimidate me. But I have a message for them that it won’t work.”

In its announcement, Apple advised those who received the alert to quickly activate Lockdown Mode, an enhanced security feature designed specifically for individuals at high risk of sophisticated cyberattacks.

This feature can be activated in a few seconds at the following section.SettingnewsPrivacy & SecuritynewsLock mode, and is described by Apple as “the most powerful defense for users being individually targeted by the most dangerous digital threats.”

In addition, Apple warns that espionage attackers may continue to seek access to targets through platforms outside the Apple ecosystem. Therefore, the company advises users to:

- Change the passwords for all sensitive accounts that have previously been logged into the device.

- Update your iPhone to the latest iOS 18.4.1 version viaSettingnewsUpdate the software..

- Update all other Apple devices they own.

- Always use the latest version of messaging apps and cloud services.