NC4 warns of cyber attack threats against Apple users
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are reminded to remain vigilant following the existence of sophisticated spyware targeting Apple device users through their Apple IDs.
The National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) in a statement on Friday said the breach could lead to data theft and financial losses. According to the statement, the threat targets individuals such as journalists, diplomats, activists, and politicians, and all users are advised to enhance their cyber security to reduce the risk of their Apple devices being compromised.
“Apple recently issued a global warning following the increase in spyware attacks, including tools like Pegasus from the NSO Group. These attacks require a level of sophistication far beyond the capabilities of common cybercriminal activities and commodity spyware.
Attackers using spyware will focus their resources by researching their designated targets. This warning comes at a time when many countries are preparing for elections, emphasizing the importance of strengthening precautionary measures,” the statement further stated. NC4 said spyware attacks continue to be a global issue, with targets including journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomatic circles.
Such attacks, according to NC4, are considered among the most advanced digital threats in the current era, due to high costs, sophisticated environments, and the ability to have a global impact.
The center said these attacks could cause significant financial losses and create daunting threat challenges in terms of detection and prevention. “However, due to the complexity of the attacks, the majority of Apple users will not be targeted, as attackers focus more on specific objectives, high-value targets, geopolitical contexts, and corporate espionage, requiring significant resources to carry out the attack,” the statement further noted.
Therefore, NC4 advised Malaysians to take preventive measures such as updating software processes, protecting devices with passwords, only downloading software from the Apple store, and avoiding clicking on suspicious attachments or links.
-Agency
