Apple Discusses iPhone Spyware Risk With Thai Officials

    Apple met with Thai officials following new warnings about mercenary spyware. Such software is typically made to order and used to covertly monitor data on a targeted person’s phone. Politicians in the country were among the iPhone users who received notifications. The meeting covered where the attacks originated and why the politicians were targeted.    The new threat notifications were sent to potential targets in 99 countries on October 29. Apple warned these individuals that they could be the targets of a mercenary spyware attack. Similar notifications were also sent to users in 110 countries in August. To prevent attackers from evading detection, the company does not disclose the criteria used by its warning system.    Thailand’s Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Chaichanok Chidchob, said such a warning does not necessarily mean that a phone has been compromised. The authorities also have no evidence that Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, was used in the latest attack attempts. Pegasus was accused of being used against pro-democracy activists in Thailand in 2022.    Apple advised those who received notifications to activate the Lockdown Mode security feature and seek help from cybersecurity experts. The Thai authorities also plan to meet with other technology companies. The meetings will cover methods of protection and the risks facing Android devices.