Apple has begun warning Russian journalists that they have been targeted using Pegasus, the spyware the government uses to hack into and monitor iPhones. Pegasus is known to be a tool used by governments and law enforcement agencies around the world to covertly monitor the activities of people of interest, including activists and journalists. In the latest reports about the malware tool, it is alleged that it is now being used against journalists covering Russia.
According to the New York Times, Apple has been proactively sending notifications to journalists and media workers at Russian news organizations, informing them that they have been targeted by "state-sponsored hackers."
Reports on Wednesday showed that Apple warned that Galina Timchenko, the publisher of the Russian exile publication Meduza, may have been the subject of a state-sponsored attack. Timchenko's iPhone was infected in Germany, two weeks after the newspaper was designated a "bad organization" by Russia in January.
On Thursday, Yevgeny Erlich, the former editor of Current Times, revealed on social media that he had received the same warning from Apple. Maria Epirfanova and Evgeniy Pavlov of Novaya Gazeta also received the same warning.
Apple issues notifications about state-sponsored attacker threats and has a full support page explaining what they are and how users should lock their accounts.
Despite international criticism of PegASUS and its development by NSO Group, the tool continues to be developed and used for surveillance purposes. In May, at least a dozen victims in Armenia were allegedly targeted by Pegasus, marking the first documented use of iPhone spyware in a military conflict.
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