Tech
Apple 'Lockdown Mode' unveiled to fight spyware attacks on your iPhone, iPad or Mac – Euronews
Apple plans to release a new feature called “Lockdown Mode” that aims to add a new layer of protection for human rights advocates, political dissidents and other targets of sophisticated hacking attacks.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, comes after at least two Israeli firms exploited flaws in Apple’s software to remotely break into iPhones without the target needing to click or tap anything.
NSO Group, the maker of the “Pegasus” software that can carry out such attacks, has been sued by Apple and placed on a trade blacklist by US officials.
“Lockdown Mode” will come to Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Macs this autumn and turning it on will block most attachments sent to the iPhone’s Messages app.
“While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of Security Engineering and Architecture.
“That includes continuing to design defences specifically for these users, as well as supporting researchers and organisations around the world doing critically important work in exposing mercenary companies that create these digital attacks”.
What ‘Lockdown Mode’ will do
Lockdown Mode will block various message attachment types, disable link previews, switch off certain web browsing technologies, block invitations and FaceTime calls from unknown sources and disable the setup of new configuration profiles or enrolment in mobile device management (MDM).
The new mode will also block wired connections to iPhones when they are locked. Israeli firm Cellebrite has used such manual connections to access iPhones, while security researchers believe NSO Group exploited a flaw in how Apple handled message attachments.
Apple representatives said that they believe sophisticated attacks the new feature is designed to fight – called “zero click” hacking techniques – are still relatively rare and that most users will not need to active the new mode.
Spyware companies have argued they sell high-powered technology to help governments thwart national security threats. But human rights groups and journalists have repeatedly documented the use of spyware to attack civil society, undermine political opposition, and interfere with elections.
To help harden the new feature, Apple said it will pay up to $2 million (€1.95 million) for each flaw that security researchers can find in the new mode, which Apple representatives said was the highest such “bug bounty” offered in the industry.
Apple also said it is making a $10 million (€9.8 million) grant, plus any possible proceeds from its lawsuit against NSO Group, to groups that find, expose and work to prevent targeted hacking.
Apple said 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.
In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, George Scott and Jack Luke look back over the best MTB tech they sniffed out at Sea Otter 2024.
Neko Mulally’s bonded DH frame is discussed, alongside the much anticipated Maxxis Aspen ST tyres, which have been teased by professional riders over the past couple of years.
George and Jack also share their thoughts on Atherton’s new S-Range alloy bikes, with the S.170 making its trade show debut after being released in February.
We’ve also put together an article on all the new and oh-so-shiny MTB tech from the show, so be sure to check that out.
How to subscribe to the BikeRadar Podcast
The BikeRadar Podcast takes you to the heart of the issues that matter for bike riders, whether you’re a roadie, mountain biker, gravel rider or commuter.
From the latest tech news, reviews and debates, to interviews with the biggest and most interesting personalities in cycling, the podcast is your direct line into the BikeRadar team.
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Apple has probably stopped production of its poorly-received FineWoven cases for the iPhone, but a new report from the same herald of its death says there is one last set of seasonal colorways coming.
Now according to leaker Kosutami, who first reported the cancellation, there could still be one more push for the FineWoven cases.
Pressed on the rumor, Kosutami emphasizes later in the same thread that if this is correct, it will be for only one more season. It’s now almost eight months since the launch of the iPhone 15 range, so it’s unlikely that there is to be a new mid-cycle color of the iPhone, but perhaps there can yet be new colors for the FineWoven cases.
Consequently, this rumor can at best be said to be possible, especially if Apple had already committed resources to the new colors. However, since FineWoven has proven to be startlingly poor at stain resistance or even just durability, it’s more believable that it is gone for good than it is that FineWoven will get a last hoorah.
Facebook parent company Meta today announced the upcoming expansion of Meta Horizon OS, a virtual and augmented reality operating system that will be available to third-party hardware manufacturers that want to design their own headsets.
Right now, Meta sells the Quest line of headsets, but the company wants to provide the software for third-party VR and AR products in the future, much like Microsoft offers Windows for all manner of third-party PCs.
Meta Horizon OS is the mixed reality operating system that Meta created for its own Quest headsets, and it has support for eye, face, hand, and body tracking along with passthrough, spatial anchors, scene understanding, and other features. There is a “social layer” that will allow the identities, avatars, and friends of users to move between virtual spaces on different devices.
According to Meta, multiple companies are working on devices that will use Meta Horizon OS. ASUS ROG is developing a performance gaming headset and Lenovo is working on mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment. Meta says that it is also creating a limited edition version of Meta Quest in partnership with Xbox.
With the expansion of Meta Horizon OS to third-party hardware manufacturers, Meta is making it easier for any developer to ship VR software on the platform by removing barriers between the Horizon Store and App Lab.
By creating an operating system that can be used by other hardware manufacturers, Meta is inserting itself into the growing AR/VR ecosystem and creating opportunities for it to outpace Apple in mixed reality development. Apple launched the Vision Pro headset earlier this year, but software is lacking given the high price and limited distribution of the device.
According to a report from earlier today, interest in the Vision Pro is already waning at Apple’s retail locations with fewer people requesting demos.
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