Apple plans to launch a new feature called Lockdown Mode for its mobile and desktop operating systems that aims to improve the protection of human rights defenders, political dissidents, journalists and other targets of sophisticated piracy attacks.
The move comes after at least two Israeli companies took advantage of Apple’s software flaws to remotely access iPhones without the target having to click or touch anything.
NSO Group, the maker of the Pegasus software that can carry out these attacks, has been sued by Apple and placed on a commercial blacklist by U.S. officials.
“Lock Mode” will hit Apple’s iPhones, iPads, and Macs this fall, and activating it will block most attachments sent to the Messages app.
This is because the analysis of security researchers suggested that NSO Group exploited a flaw in how Apple handled message attachments.
The new mode will also block cable connections to iPhones when they are locked.
The Israeli company Cellebrite has used these manual connections to access iPhones.
Apple officials said they believe the sophisticated attacks for which the new feature is designed – called zero-click because it requires no user interaction – are still relatively rare and most users won’t have to. activate the new mode.
Spyware companies have argued that they sell high-powered technology to help governments thwart national security threats.
However, human rights groups and journalists have repeatedly documented the use of spyware to attack civil society, undermine political opposition, and interfere in elections.
To help tighten the new feature, Apple said it will pay up to $ 2 million for every flaw that security researchers may find in the new mode, which Apple officials said was the reward for more bugs. high that is offered to the industry.
Apple also said it is granting a $ 10 million grant, plus possible proceeds from its lawsuit against NSO Group, to groups that find, expose and work to prevent targeted piracy.
The grant will go to the Dignity and Justice Fund established by the Ford Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the United States.