On their Apple IDs, opposition MPs and journalists get notifications about "state-sponsored attacks." Described

 On their Apple IDs, opposition MPs and journalists get notifications about "state-sponsored attacks." Described

Opposition leaders in India, such as Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shashi Tharoor of the Congress Party, and two journalists, asserted on Tuesday that they received an alert on their iPhones or Apple IDs allegedly warning them against "state-sponsored" attacks or hackers attempting to access the leaders' private data as well as the microphone and camera on their individual devices.

What was written in the alert message?

Screen captures of the email header that said, "ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be exploiting your iPhone," were posted by journalists and lawmakers who got the warning on their iPhones.

The email went on to say, "Apple thinks state-sponsored attackers are attempting to remotely hack the iPhone linked to your Apple ID. In addition to who you are or what you do, these attackers are probably specifically aiming their attacks at you. A state-sponsored attacker may be able to remotely view your private information, conversations, or even the camera and microphone if they manage to breach your device."

It also said, "Please take this warning seriously, even though it's possible that this is a false alarm."

Notably, on October 30, 2023, at 11:45 p.m., the email was received by the media and lawmakers.

Who was notified of the alert?

These are the individuals who were notified of the warning by compiling postings from the microblogging site "X" and news articles.

- MP for the Trinamool Congress Mahua Moitra

-Priyanka Chaturvedi, UBT MP for the Shiv Sena

-AAP MP Raghav Chadha

-Shashi Tharoor, Member of Congress

-AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi

-Sitaram Yechury, a former MP and general secretary of the CPI(M)

-Congress spokesman Pawan Khera

- President of the Samaywadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav

-The Wire's founding editor, Siddharth Varadarajan

-Sriram Karri, Deccan Chronicle's resident editor

-Samir Saran, the Observer Research Foundation's president

-Revathi, an independent reporter

-K.C. Venugopal, Member of Congress

-NCP MP Supra Sule

-A number of employees in the office of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi

-Revanth Reddy, Member of Congress

-T.S. Singhdeo, Congress politician and deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh

-Independent journalist Ravi Nair

-KT Rama Rao, the BRS leader and minister for Telangana

Apple refers to the notice as a "false alarm."

The company that makes iPhones, Apple Inc., said that it does not link any particular state-sponsored attackers to threat alerts like the ones Opposition MPs got.

It said that "very well-funded and refined, and their attacks evolve over time" are funded by the state terrorists.

"Threat intelligence signals, which are often erroneous and lacking, are the basis for detecting such assaults. It is plausible that some Apple danger alerts might be erroneous warnings, or that certain assaults go undetected," the statement said.

It would not, however, clarify what led to the warnings that TMC MP Mahua Moitra and other MPs received.

"We are unable to provide details regarding what causes us to issue threat notifications, because it may help state-sponsored attackers evolve their behaviour to evade detection in the future," the company said.

Apple Threat Notification: What Is It?

Many well-known customers have made the iPhone their go-to smartphone because of Apple's danger alert services. "Inform and assist users that may have been exploited by sponsored by the state attackers," reads the threat message on Apple iPhones. 

According to Apple's official website, "state-sponsored attackers use exceptional resources to choose a very small number of particular individuals and their devices, which makes these attacks exceptionally difficult to detect and prevent," in contrast to conventional cybercriminals. State-sponsored assaults often have a limited shelf life, are very complicated, and require millions of dollars to produce. Such assaults will never target the overwhelming majority of users. 

Apple's proposal to defend iPhones against dangersUpdate software on devices to the most recent version since it contains security updates.

Safeguard gadgets with a passcode

-For your Apple ID, use a strong password and two-factor authentication.

- Install programs via the App Store.

-When using strong and distinct passwords online

-Avoid clicking on attachments or links from senders you don't know.

How did the Indian government respond?

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw refuted the accusations made by opposition MPs, stating that destructive politics is being practiced by those who are unable to recognize the nation's progress. These warnings, according to the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, have been sent to citizens of 150 nations.

The head of the BJP IT Cell, Amit Malviya, dismissed as "absolutely baseless" the opposition's allegation that the Center had hacked their phones.

How did the opposition MPs respond? 

Leader of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, attacked the Modi administration over the "Apple warning message" and said it was attempting to deflect public attention away from pressing problems.

Mahua Moitra, a TMC MP, said that she will be writing to Om Birla, the speaker of the Lok Sabha, asking him to uphold Raj Dharma and shield opposition MPs in the wake of Apple's alleged threat of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" her iPhone.

"I have confirmed that the email was sent from the Apple ID HYPERLINK "mailto:threat-notifications@apple.com." Validity established. Happy to keep underpaid bureaucrats busy at taxpayers' expense, including myself! Is there anything more crucial to do? Shashi Tharoor, a Thiruvananthapuram Congress MP, said on X,