Apple Debuts 'Lockdown Mode' to Protect iPhones From Spyware

The new security feature was announced by Apple. Lockdown Mode promises to harden the security posture of your device, drawing a digital moat around its perimeter to protect against intrusion, while also hobbling some of its features.

Lockdown is the first major capability of its kind, according to Apple. It will be available on the following devices later this year.

The new mode stops certain features and functions that have been used in the past to get into the computer. The mode blocks most types of messages, as well as wired connections to computers or other devices. If the user hasn't scheduled them before, it blocks incoming invitations. The announcement uses just-in-time (JIT) Javascript to show the types of code that are blocked.

Lockdown is an optional level of security for the very few. The "very few" are likely to be journalists, diplomats, activists, and others who are targeted for who they are or what they do. Over the past several years, it has been shown that the people who are most at risk for being targeted are the ones who are low income.

Ivan Krsti, Apple's head of Security Engineering and Architecture said, "Lockdown Mode is a ground-breaking capability that reflects our steadfast commitment to protecting users from even the most sophisticated attacks." She said that the majority of users would never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks.

Calling Out NSO

The NSO Group, an Israeli firm tied to hacking scandals all over the world, was called out in Apple's announcement. According to Apple, Lockdown is designed to protect against private companies. A new grant program will be launched for researchers who are studying the spyware industry.

NSO was sued by Apple in November 2021. NSO is being sued by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, on the same grounds.

Apple is making a $10 million grant, in addition to any damages awarded from the lawsuit filed against NSO Group, to support organizations that investigate, expose, and prevent highly targeted cyberattacks.

In an effort to continually improve Lockdown mode, Apple also said that it will be expanding its bug bounty program to look for holes in its security system.