“The only system-level iOS attacks we observe in the wild come from mercenary spyware — extremely sophisticated exploit chains, historically associated with state actors, that cost millions of dollars to develop and are used against a very small number of targeted individuals,” the company said.
These are the attacks wielded against activists, journalists, and politicians. (Apple is donating 1,000 iPhone 17s to rights groups that work with people at risk of targeted attacks, according to Wired.)
Combined protections such as MIE, Lockdown Mode, and the other security shields that exist on Apple’s platforms make these sophisticated attacks much more expensive to develop and use, but Apple knows the security struggle continues, which is why it has increased the security bounties it provides.
