The Lockdown Mode will be a new feature in Apple's upcoming iPhone and Mac software.
According to the technology giant, the new feature is an "extreme optional protection" for device owners who are more likely to be targeted by nation states.
After years of attacks, the feature lands. NSO Group, Candiru and Cytrox build exploits that punch through a device's security protections in order to plant software on behalf of their government clients. Even though Apple is quick to release security updates for its devices, wider efforts to bolster its security exploits against these types of exploits have not always been successful.
It's not uncommon for government-grade spyware to read messages, call logs, download photos, covertly record the device's microphone and phone calls, take photos using the phone's camera, access the victim's passwords and track the phone's location in real time, security
There is a picture of Lockdown Mode in the screen shot. The image is provided by Apple.
Those who are subject to targeted hacking attempts will be able to immediately disabling a number of features, such as limiting what code can run in apps and on websites and vastly limiting other areas of Apple software.
Lockdown Mode will prevent iPhones and Macs from installing configuration profiles, which are typically used by organizations to roll out settings and security protections across fleets of devices, but also abused by consumer grade spyware to monitor and secretly download the contents of a victim's devices. Hardware forensic tools are not allowed to download data from a device when Lockdown Mode is turned on.
Apple said in a post that the new lockdown feature further strengthens device defenses and strictly limits certain functions, which will sharply reduce the attack surface that could be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware.
The feature is slated for release later this year along with Apple's new phones.
This tool tells you if NSO’s Pegasus spyware targeted your phone
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