alert
CERT-In Warning: Moneycontrol has reported that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has sent a notice to Apple as the company has issued threat notifications related to “Mercenary Spyware” to users in India. In this notice from Apple, warnings related to rented spyware have been issued.
The move comes as the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a public advisory asking users to update their devices and anyone receiving the warning and seeking technical support to contact the agency at submitmobile@cert-in.org.in.
CERT-In’s advisory issued on December 5 states that users who have received such information and wish to get their Apple device checked or avail technical support are requested to contact CERT-In via email.
Earlier on December 2 and 3, Google and Apple sent threat notifications to users around the world. The agency has also said that users should be cautious and not use old software. Apple and Google had sent alerts to all those users on whose phones a powerful spyware had tried to carry out a cyber attack. These companies have alerted users who may become targets of state-backed spyware. Cyber security experts say that this step of the government shows how serious this potential cyber attack can be and how deep the danger of its misuse can be.
CERT-In gave these four advices to the users which it is important for the users to keep in mind-
Users Install iOS Update (26.1)
Update messaging and cloud applications
turn on lockdown mode
Be alert for suspicious prompts
This is not the first time Apple’s threat notifications have led to official action. In 2023, MeitY sought clarification from Apple after several opposition politicians and journalists complained of receiving similar warnings.
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