Apple has released a new "lockdown mode" in its fight against spyware companies.


 Apple plans to release a new feature this fall called \\'Lockdown Mode\\' aimed at helping human rights defenders, dissidents and others. The move comes after at least two Israeli companies exploited a flaw in Apple's software to remotely hack into iPhones. NSO Group, the maker of \\'Pegasus\\' software that can perform such attacks, has been sued by Apple.


Locked Mode will block most attachments sent to the iPhone's Messages app when turned on. Security researchers believe NSO Group exploited a vulnerability in Apple's handling of email attachments. Apple officials said they believe the sophisticated attacks the new feature is designed to combat are still relatively rare, and most users won't need to enable it.


Spyware companies argue that they sell powerful technology to help governments thwart national security threats. Human rights groups and journalists have repeatedly documented the use of spyware to target civil society, disrupt political opposition and disrupt elections. Apple said it would pay security researchers up to $2 million for each vulnerability discovered in the new model.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crypto lender Voyager Digital suspends withdrawals and deposits

Image
 Voyager Digital Ltd. announced on Friday that it has suspended withdrawals, transactions and deposits on its platform. The move comes just days after the company gave a formal notice to troubled hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) for failing to make loan payments as required. Voyager CEO Stephen Ehrlich said the move gives the company'more time to continue exploring strategic alternatives with various stakeholders' Voyager said in a release that it has retained Moelis & Company (MC.N) and Consello Group as financial advisors. On June 22, Voyager signed a revolving line of credit agreement with Alameda Ventures Ltd to access more funds. Voyager said it borrowed $350 million and 15,250 bitcoins from 3AC. 3AC has entered a liquidation phase, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Voyager's move comes less than a month after rival crypto lender Celsius Network suspended withdrawals. Celsius has not yet opened withdrawals for its customers. Voyager's mov...
Read more

UK regulators probe Microsoft's $68.7 billion deal with Activision

Image
 U.K. antitrust regulators said on Wednesday they were opening up a bid by Microsoft to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. Britain's Competition and Markets Authority said it had until September 1 to make a first-stage decision on whether a deal between the US tech firm and video game maker Activision would reduce competition in the UK. Lisa Tanzi, Microsoft's corporate vice president and general counsel, said in an interview with Reuters: \\'We are committed to answering the questions raised by regulators and ultimately believe that a thorough scrutiny will help close the deal with broad confidence and have an impact on competition' Activision did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UK regulators are investigating Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal with Activision. In January, Microsoft announced it would acquire Activision Blizzard, the largest deal in the history of the gaming industry. The CMA's Phase 1 investigation will lead to either approv...
Read more

EU lawmakers are crafting groundbreaking tech regulations, but enforcement is a problem

Image
 European Union lawmakers passed landmark rules on Tuesday banning companies including Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook. But limited resources from regulators could hinder law enforcement. In addition to the rules known as the Digital Markets Act, lawmakers passed the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires online platforms to monitor more closely for illegal content on the internet. Businesses that violate the DMA face fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue. Earlier this year, lawmakers and EU countries reached a political agreement on the two sets of rules. The European Commission has set up a working group that is expected to be joined by about 80 officials. EU industry chief Thierry Breton said different teams would focus on different issues such as risk assessment, messenger service interoperability and data access. The regulator will also establish a European Algorithmic Transparency Centre to hire data scientists and algorithm scientists to provide law enforcement ...
Read more