Apple warns millions of iPhone owners to watch out for two dangerous signs – you should act immediately if you see any of them

ANYONE with an iPhone should be aware of two alerts – and if you see either of them, you should take action.

Apple has extremely sophisticated ways of tracking when you are personally targeted by cybercriminals.

And if it thinks you’re the focus of a “mercenary spyware attack,” it will warn you.

These are called Apple Threat Notifications and should be taken very seriously.

“Apple threat notifications are designed to inform and help users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks, likely because of who they are or what they do,” Apple explained in an official security memo.

“These attacks are much more complex than regular cybercriminal activity and consumer malware, as mercenary spyware attackers apply exceptional capabilities to target a very small number of specific individuals and their devices.

“Mercenary spyware attacks cost millions of dollars and often have a short lifespan, making them much more difficult to detect and prevent.”

But Apple notes: “The vast majority of users will never be targets of such attacks.”

Apple recently issued threat notifications to people in dozens of countries.

THE ALERT

There are two ways you can be informed that you have been targeted.

The first is that a threat notification will appear at the top of the page when you enter the Apple ID website.

And the second is an email and iMessage notification – these will be sent to the addresses and numbers associated with your Apple ID.

If you see a notification, you should follow the instructions in the email.

This may involve updating your iPhone with the latest security updates or even activating Lockdown Mode.

“Apple threat notifications are high-confidence alerts that an individual user has been targeted in a mercenary spyware attack and should be taken very seriously,” Apple explained.

“We cannot provide information about what causes us to issue threat notifications, as this may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to avoid detection in the future.”

The iPhone maker added: “We strongly suggest that you enlist expert help, such as the rapid-response emergency security assistance provided by the nonprofit Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline.”

WHAT IS LOCK MODE?

An option for you, if you are being targeted by this type of attack, is Lockdown Mode.

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Lockdown mode was added to iPhone with the iOS 16 update (and later updated in iOS 17).

It is designed as an extreme option if you are being targeted by rare and sophisticated cyberattacks.

Apple explains: “When Lockdown Mode is turned on, your device will not function as it normally would.

“To reduce the attack surface that could potentially be exploited by highly targeted mercenary spyware, certain applications, websites and characteristics are strictly limited for security reasons and some experiences may not be available.”

However, you will still be able to receive calls and simple text messages with Lockdown Mode active.

To enable Lockdown Mode, you need to make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 16 or iOS 17.

Just go to Settings > General > Software Update to check.

Then go to Settings > Privacy and security > Blocking mode and tap Turn on blocking mode.

Apple Threat Notifications are high-confidence alerts that an individual user has been targeted in a mercenary spyware attack and should be taken very seriously

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You’ll need to choose Enable Lock Mode again, tap Enable & Restart, and enter your password.

Note that you’ll need to enable Lockdown Mode separately for your iPad and Mac – it won’t sync with your iPhone.

However, it will automatically activate for the paired Apple Watch.

And you will be asked to activate it on your other devices.

You can exclude specific apps or websites from the impact of blocking mode in settings.