Thailand held meetings with Apple Inc officials over notifications received by politicians and others warning that they may have been targeted by mercenary spyware, part of a global alert sent to people in 99 countries.
Apple sent the notifications on Oct 29 after detecting activity consistent with mercenary spyware attacks, the company said in response to questions from Bloomberg News. Several Thai politicians have said they received the warnings, raising questions about who may have targeted them and why.
Receiving an alert doesn’t necessarily mean a device was successfully compromised, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said after meeting Apple representatives on Nov 11, Krungthep Turakij and other media reported. Thai authorities also have no evidence so far that the latest attempted attacks involved Pegasus, the spyware developed by Israel’s NSO Group, he said.
Following the recent alerts, some politicians questioned whether Pegasus had been used. The spyware was allegedly used against pro-democracy campaigners in 2022.
Apple declined to disclose what triggers an alert, saying details could help attackers adapt their methods and evade detection. It does provide users with guidance on what to do if they receive an Apple threat notification.
Thai authorities will meet with technology companies to discuss the threat and possible countermeasures, including risks to Android devices. Apple recommends that users who receive a threat notification enable Lockdown Mode and seek expert security assistance. – Bloomberg
