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Apple asserts that it does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker, shedding light on the challenges of threat detection.
NEW DELHI: Amid the controversy that has recently erupted in India surrounding alerts from iPhone maker Apple about state-sponsored attacks, the technology giant has issued a statement clarifying its stance. Apple asserts that it does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker, shedding light on the challenges of threat detection.
Apple’s statement emphasises that state-sponsored attackers are typically well-funded and sophisticated, and their attack methods evolve over time. Detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals, which are not infallible and often incomplete. The statement further acknowledges the possibility of some threat notifications being false alarms or certain attacks going undetected.
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“Very few people are fighting against this (government snooping) but we will not be deterred. We are not scared. The government can do however much phone tapping as… pic.twitter.com/ecq7X8Sao5
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) October 31, 2023
“It’s possible that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms, or that some attacks are not detected. We are unable to provide information about what causes us to issue threat notifications, as that may help state-sponsored attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future,” the statement read.
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This clarification comes shortly after several opposition leaders in India, including AAP MP Raghav Chadha, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, shared their concerns about similar notifications received from Apple. These notifications were presented as evidence to support claims of government espionage.
Early this morning I received a concerning notification from Apple, warning me about a potential state-sponsored spyware attack on my phone. The notification states that, “If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your… pic.twitter.com/JrVD9Zh9im
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) October 31, 2023
It’s worth noting that Apple has sent threat notifications to people with accounts in nearly 150 countries, raising concerns about the global reach of such alerts.
The Observer Research Foundation’s (ORF) President, Samir Saran, also expressed similar concerns by sharing screenshots of the notifications. The ORF, though initially founded by the Dhirubhai Ambani family, asserts its independent operations.
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Now, we will go to bottom of it. Foul play or whoever behind it — Minister pic.twitter.com/aSxRjL5JLc
— Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) October 31, 2023
Apple’s messages to these leaders warned, “Apple believes you are being targeted by state- sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID. These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do.
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“If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone. While it’s possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously.”
It turns out that it wasn’t just people in India who received this alert from Apple
Armenia too.
It can even be a foreign govt like China trying to unsettle India democracy knowing Apple has shifted its manufacturing to India. From Zhengzhou to Sriperumbudur, Hyderabad & Bang. pic.twitter.com/rP6AD9lZWB
— Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) October 31, 2023
