Apple has announced that it has begun previewing a new security capability that offers specialized additional protection to users who may be at risk of highly targeted cyberattacks from private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware within its forthcoming operating systems. The company has also begun providing details of its $10 million grant to bolster research exposing such threats.
Apple will debut Lockdown Mode in its iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura operating systems. The feature acts as an extreme, optional form of protection for the very small number of users who face “grave, targeted threats” to their digital security. Apple also shared details as to a $10 million cybersecurity grant it announced last November to support civil society organizations that conduct mercenary spyware threat research and advocacy.
Per Apple:
“Apple makes the most secure mobile devices on the market. Lockdown Mode is a groundbreaking capability that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting users from even the rarest, most sophisticated attacks,” said Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of Security Engineering and Architecture. “While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are. That includes continuing to design defenses specifically for these users, as well as supporting researchers and organizations around the world doing critically important work in exposing mercenary companies that create these digital attacks.”
Lockdown Mode will offer enhanced security for those who may be personally targeted by some of the most sophisticated digital threats, such as those from NSO Group and other private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware.
By activating Lockdown Mode in the forthcoming operating systems, a device will harden its defenses and strictly limit certain functionalities, thereby sharply reducing the attack surface that could be potentially exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware.
At launch, Lockdown Mode includes the following protections:
- Messages: Most message attachment types other than images are blocked. Some features, like link previews, are disabled.
- Web browsing: Certain complex web technologies, like just-in-time (JIT) JavaScript compilation, are disabled unless the user excludes a trusted site from Lockdown Mode.
- Apple services: Incoming invitations and service requests, including FaceTime calls, are blocked if the user has not previously sent the initiator a call or request.
- Wired connections with a computer or accessory are blocked when iPhone is locked.
- Configuration profiles cannot be installed, and the device cannot enroll into mobile device management (MDM), while Lockdown Mode is turned on.
Apple will continue to develop Lockdown Mode and add new protections over time. It has also invited feedback and collaboration from the security research community, and has established a new category within the Apple Security Bounty program to reward researchers who find Lockdown Mode bypasses and help improve its protections. Bounties are doubled for qualifying findings in Lockdown Mode, up to a maximum of $2,000,000 — the highest maximum bounty payout in the industry.
Apple has added its $10 million grant, “in addition to any damages awarded from the lawsuit filed against NSO Group, to support organizations that investigate, expose, and prevent highly targeted cyberattacks, including those created by private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware. The grant will be made to the Dignity and Justice Fund established and advised by the Ford Foundation — a private foundation dedicated to advancing equity worldwide — and designed to pool philanthropic resources to advance social justice globally.”
The end goals of the Dignity and Justice Fund include the following:
- Building organizational capacity and increasing field coordination of new and existing civil society cybersecurity research and advocacy groups.
- Supporting the development of standardized forensic methods to detect and confirm spyware infiltration that meet evidentiary standards.
- Enabling civil society to more effectively partner with device manufacturers, software developers, commercial security firms, and other relevant companies to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Increasing awareness among investors, journalists, and policymakers about the global mercenary spyware industry.
- Building the capacity of human rights defenders to identify and respond to spyware attacks, including security audits for organizations that face heightened threats to their networks.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via Apple
