Breezy Explainer: What is Apple’s Lockdown Mode?

Apple has announced a new security feature, called the ‘Lockdown Mode’, which will be available later this year for iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices. Here’s everything you need to know about this feature.

What is Apple’s Lockdown Mode?

On Wednesday, Apple stated it is releasing a new feature known as “Lockdown Mode”. This feature aims to add a new layer of protection for human rights advocates, political dissidents, and other targets of sophisticated hacking attacks. The move comes after at least two Israeli firms have exploited flaws in Apple’s software to remotely break into iPhones without the target needing to click or tap anything. NSO Group, the maker of the “Pegasus” software has been sued by Apple and placed on a trade blacklist by U.S. officials.

Lockdown Mode will come to Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Macs this fall. Turning this feature on will block most attachments send to the Messages app. As per security researchers, the NSO group exploited a flaw in Apple’s method of handling message attachments. Additionally, it will block all wired connections to an iPhone when locked. Cellebrite, an Israeli firm has used such manual connections for accessing iPhones.

More on the Apple’s lockdown mode

 Apple representatives said that they believe sophisticated attacks the new feature is designed to fight – called “zero click” hacking techniques – are still relatively rare and that most users will not need to active the new mode.

Apple will pay up to $2 million for each flaw that security researchers can find in the new mode, which Apple representatives said was the highest such “bug bounty” offered in the industry.

“Lockdown Mode is a groundbreaking capability that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting users from even the rarest, most sophisticated attacks,” stated Ivan Krstić. Krstić is the head of Security Engineering and Architecture for Apple.

Moreover, “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,” he added.

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