Last week, Google and Apple sent an alert to their users, warning them of a possible spyware attack. The central government has now issued a notice to Apple in this matter. A notice has been issued to the company due to the alert sent to users in India. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), a government agency, has also issued a public advisory, saying that users who have received this alert can seek technical help from the agency.
Government asked for information from Apple
Apple and Google had sent spyware related notices to their users on December 2-3. According to media reports, the government has now sent a notice to Apple asking for more information in this matter. The government has asked what kind of threat the company discovered, how such threats were discovered, and how many users could be affected. Cyber security experts also say that such spyware attacks are a matter of concern and are expected to increase.
Apple’s response:
According to Moneycontrol, after this notice, Apple held a meeting with the Central Government and CERT-In. The company said the notifications sent to users were signals of an insider threat and that no government was involved.
CERT-In advised users to:
Following Apple’s alert, CERT-In issued a public advisory stating that Apple has detected attempts to remotely hack certain Apple IDs. In view of this, all iPhone users should update their devices and turn on lockdown mode. Users were also advised to be wary of any strange prompts on the screen. Users who have received this alert can contact the agency to have their device checked.
