How Apple’s new Lockdown mode can help you being anonymous? Here is the complete info
In its next iPhone and Mac software, Apple announced on Wednesday that it will add a new “Lockdown Mode” that will turn off specific functions to aid targeted users in fending off government-grade malware.
The technology behemoth claimed that the new feature is an “extreme optional protection” for device users who, like journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, are more likely to be targeted by national governments using potent spyware.
After years of persistent, successful attacks against thousands of iPhone owners worldwide, the feature finally becomes available. For the benefit of their government clients, spyware developers like NSO Group, Candiru, and Cytrox provide the exploits necessary to get past a device’s security measures and install spyware.
Although Apple usually releases security patches for its products quickly, broader attempts to strengthen the security of the iPhone against these kinds of vulnerabilities have not always been successful.
Government-grade malware can frequently read messages, call records, download images, secretly record phone calls and the device’s microphone, capture photos using the phone’s camera, access the victim’s passwords, and monitor the phone’s location in real-time, according to security researchers.
The introduction of “Lockdown Mode” allows people who are the target of targeted hacking attempts to immediately disable a number of features, such as restricting the amount of code that can be executed in apps and websites and severely limiting the use of other Apple software features, like iMessage and FaceTime, which spyware developers have abused to create exploits that can install spyware on iPhones.
Additionally, Lockdown Mode will stop iPhones and Macs from installing configuration profiles, which are frequently used by businesses to deploy settings and security safeguards across fleets of devices but are also abused by consumer-grade spyware to track and covertly download the contents of a victim’s devices. When Lockdown Mode is activated, wired connections are also disabled, prohibiting hardware forensic tools from downloading data from a device.
The new lockdown feature “further tightens device security and rigorously limits some features, significantly decreasing the attack surface that possibly may be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware,” according to a post by Apple.
As part of the release of its new iPhones later this year, Apple stated the capability will be included in iOS 16, iPad 16, and macOS Ventura.
