On the upside, Apple has recently started cracking down on spyware marketed as parental control apps and sold within the App Store. It collected user data across different browsers, then sent it back to a server based in China.Īnother spyware app, called Exodus, initially designed for Android devices, recently targeted hundreds of unsuspecting iPhone users.Įven more worryingly, a piece of stalkerware (that’s software that someone who knows you can buy to eavesdrop on your calls and intercept your messages) called mSpy, can also target iPhone users.

Just a few months ago, in fact, it was discovered that a paid app in the Mac App Store claiming to combat malware (called Adware Doctor) was actually a piece of spyware. Can spyware still infiltrate Apple products?Īpple quickly issued a security update to patch up any vulnerabilities Pegasus uncovered, but Apple’s problem with spyware continues to this very day. It could read messages, emails, listen in on calls, take screenshots, pull browser history, contacts. Pegasus was able to log everything an iPhone does while remaining undetectable. In spite of Apple’s stringent cyber security capabilities, the Pegasus spyware was able to capitalise on an unknown vulnerability within iOS, jailbreak Apple devices and secretly surveil users. The very first iPhone spywareīack in 2017, the very first spyware capable of hacking iPhones and iPads was discovered by one of its initial targets, a human rights activist from the United Arab Emirates called Ahmed Mansoor.

Most insidious of all, however are masque attacks, where a spyware program poses as an update to a reputable app you’ve previously installed on your device.īefore we dive in any further, though, let’s start with a bit of history. There are common-or-garden-variety spyware apps, as well as iCloud spyware attacks (where hackers figure out your iCloud login details, then snoop on your online activity). IPhone spyware comes in a few different forms. This is a kind of malware that installs itself on your device and surreptitiously monitors your online activity, relaying your data and personal information to other parties without your knowledge or consent. We’ll explore how spyware can infiltrate your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and exactly what you can do to amp up your immunity against it. Here, we’re taking a closer look at the murky world of spyware targeting Apple products. In our earlier articles, we covered all the common types of malware and how to deal with them. Spyware specifically targeting Apple devices is rare, but it does exist.

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