Context: For months, Apple has warned against what it refers to as state-backed contract spyware. The company has now confirmed that a radical new security feature will be included in its upcoming major operating system updates to address the issue. It claims that most users won’t likely ever require it.
Later this year, the release of iOS 16, iPad OS 16, and macOS Venture will bring about a new feature called Lockdown Mode, which will severely restrict communications to thwart spyware. Apple claims that organizations like NSO and RCS Labs created spyware that was used in recent, deliberate political cyberattacks.
When activated, Lockdown Mode will disable features to bolster security on Apple devices. The majority of attachments besides images will be blocked by the Messages app, along with link previews. Except for the websites that users whitelist, web browsers will disable features like just-in-time JavaScript on all websites.
Additionally, FaceTime calls and other communication requests from phone numbers that a user has never called will be blocked by the feature. Users cannot install configuration profiles on locked devices, enroll locked devices in mobile device management, or make wired connections to locked devices. Lockdown Mode will eventually receive additional safeguards from Apple.
To encourage security researchers to quickly alert it to any vulnerabilities in the system, the Cupertino company will increase its rewards for discovering Lockdown Mode exploits to a maximum of $2 million. Apple is also launching a $10 million grant program to aid organizations fending off targeted cyberattacks. The fund will receive a portion of any damages that Apple receives from its lawsuit against the NSO group.
Apple accused NSO and its parent company of creating spyware that used iOS exploits to target iPhones at the direction of state entities in a lawsuit it filed against them in November. A month later, US diplomats in Uganda discovered the Pegasus spyware on their iPhones. Then, in June, reports mentioned RCS Labs, a similar organization that also created spyware used by governments to target particular Android and iOS devices. According to Apple, the small percentage of its user base that might be subject to this kind of surveillance is why Lockdown Mode was created.
