Apple is proud of itself It maintains the security measures built into its software and hardware—and continues to add new protections and safeguards over time. lock mode A new feature coming to iPhones, iPads, and Macs later this year, it promises to protect your devices from “highly targeted cyber attacks.”
As you might guess from the name, Lockdown Mode is a bit like closing the shutters, closing the doors twice, and turning off all the lights in your home. It severely restricts the types of activity allowed on your devices, the logic being that if something unwanted is accessed, the damage will be limited.
For example, attachments other than images in messages are turned off, and link previews are disabled. Incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers, as well as wired connections with other devices and accessories, are blocked. Shared albums are removed from the Photos app, and invitations to new shared albums are blocked.
On a more technical level, a number of web technologies are turned off, including JavaScript just-in-time (JIT) compilation (where code is run and compiled at the same time.) as well as configuration profiles (for work or school for example) that cannot install it.
Lock mode is disabled by default but can be enabled on iPhone by going to Settingsand then PRIVACY AND SECURITYand then lock mode. Turning it on or off requires a system restart and a device PIN. While Apple describes the feature as something for users at risk of “state-sponsored mercenary spyware” – which look like high-profile targets – anyone will be able to turn it on for added protection.
“Lock mode is an optional maximum protection that you should only use if you think you might be personally targeted by a highly sophisticated cyber attack,” is how Apple puts it in its support documentation. Most people are not targeted by attacks of this kind.”
As Apple explains, the general idea is to reduce the attack surface that malware and spyware can access. Tools including Pegasus Spy Program The package developed by NSO Group has the ability to read texts, track calls, collect passwords, monitor a user’s location and more – some of which require no user interaction.
With Pegasus, for example, a WhatsApp call to the target device is all it takes for the spyware to start working, even if the call goes unanswered. It is worth noting that this particular part of the spyware is prohibited from running on devices with iOS 15 or higher installed, but there are a lot of other threats that still exist, and a lot more that will be developed in the future.
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