Apple announced this evening in a press release that the Cupertino-based company has filed a lawsuit against the NSO Group.
Apple announced Tuesday evening that it has filed a lawsuit against NSO Group, known for developing the advanced spyware "Pegasus" that targets and monitors users of iOS and Android devices. The company says it is suing the spyware's developers to "prevent further abuse and harm to its users."
Craig Federighi “iOS devices are extremely secure”
Pegasus was developed with governments and law enforcement agencies in mind, as the NSO Group does not sell the spyware to ordinary users. Nevertheless, most of the countries that have acquired Pegasus are known for violating human rights, which puts numerous people, such as journalists and political opponents, at risk. Apple's vice president of software development, Craig Federighi, reiterates that iOS devices are extremely secure, but admits that companies like the NSO Group spend millions of dollars on sophisticated tools to crack Apple's security system. Now the company wants to put an end to this with a lawsuit. explained Federighi:
Spyware Pegasus: Apple highlights security improvements in iOS 15
State-sponsored actors like NSO Group are spending millions of dollars on sophisticated surveillance technologies without effective accountability. This must change. Apple devices are the most secure consumer hardware on the market - but private companies developing state-sponsored spyware have become even more dangerous. While these cybersecurity threats affect only a very small number of our customers, we take every attack on our users very seriously and are continuously working to improve data protection and privacy measures in iOS to protect all of our users.
As highlighted by Apple, the Pegasus spyware is capable of allowing hackers to access the microphone, camera, and other sensitive data on Apple and Android devices. The attackers use fake Apple IDs to send malicious data to a victim's device so they can install the Pegasus spyware without the user's knowledge. Cupertino emphasizes that the spyware only collects data from users' devices and that no Apple servers have been compromised. Apple also highlights several security improvements introduced with iOS 15, including the BlastDoor mechanism to protect users' messages.
Although NSO Group's spyware is constantly evolving, Apple has not observed evidence of successful remote attacks on devices running iOS 15 and later. Apple encourages all users to update their iPhone and always use the latest software.
In addition to the lawsuit, Apple also announced a donation of $10 million to organizations committed to cybersecurity. (Photo by Chor Muang / Bigstockphoto)
