By September this year, Apple Inc will launch a ‘Lockdown Mode’ function that will provide an extra layer of protection on its products to support human rights efforts and prevent hacking attacks.
The functionality was built after the hacking incident of 2 Israeli firms that hacked software on iPhone products without requiring the target to click or press anything.
Citing Apple sources, the ‘Lockdown Mode’ function will be present in iPhone, iPad and Mac devices in the fall and its activation will block most attachments sent to the Messages app.
In addition, Apple is said to pay nearly $ 2 million for every flaw that security researchers can find in the new functionality as part of efforts to strengthen its product protection policy.
Scanning Hacking Incidents 2 Israeli Firms
In the past, Apple has sued and U.S. officials blacklisted the NSO Group responsible for making the ‘Pegasus’ software.
The software is believed to exploit vulnerabilities in the way Apple handles message attachments to hack its products.
Meanwhile, the Israeli firm Cellebrite is said to use a manual connection to access iPhone products.
According to Apple representatives, the advanced attacks of the new feature have been designed ‘zero clicks’ and are relatively rare.
Meanwhile, spy software companies have brought up the argument that they are selling such advanced technology to help the government thwart national security threats.
Yet it has met with fierce opposition by human rights groups and journalists by repeatedly documenting the use of spyware to attack civil society or weaken political opposition and disrupt elections.
