Apple has released a new \"lockdown mode\" in its fight against spyware companies.


 The Apple Inc logo hangs at the entrance to the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar.


July 6 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) announced on Wednesday that it plans to release a new feature this fall called \"Lockdown Mode\" aimed at helping human rights defenders, dissidents and others. People add a new layer of protection. Sophisticated targeted hacking..


The move comes after at least two Israeli companies exploited a flaw in Apple's software to remotely hack into iPhones without the target having to tap or tap anything. NSO Group, the maker of \"Pegasus\" software that can perform such attacks, has been sued by Apple and placed on a trade blacklist by U.S. officials.


Locked Mode, which will be available on Apple's iPhones, iPads and Macs this fall, will block most attachments sent to the iPhone's Messages app when turned on. Security researchers believe NSO Group exploited a vulnerability in Apple's handling of email attachments. The new mode also prevents a wired connection to the iPhone when the iPhone is locked. The Israeli company Cellebrite uses this manual connection to access the iPhone.


Apple officials said they believe the sophisticated attacks the new feature is designed to combat -- so-called \"zero-click\" hacking techniques -- are still relatively rare, and most users won't need to enable the new mode.


Spyware companies argue that they sell powerful technology to help governments thwart national security threats. But human rights groups and journalists have repeatedly documented the use of spyware to target civil society, disrupt political opposition and disrupt elections.


To support the new feature, Apple said it would pay security researchers up to $2 million for each vulnerability discovered in the new model, which Apple officially said was the highest such \"bug bounty\" in the industry.


Apple also said it would provide a $10 million grant, as well as potential proceeds from a lawsuit against the NSO Group, for groups that discover, 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.


💌 Resources and references: reuters.com 🔊 Apple released a new \"lockdown\" mode in its fight against spyware companies.


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