WHO CONFIRMS ZERO LOCKDOWN MODE HACKS IN FOUR YEARS AS APPLE PATCHES EXPLOITS CONTINUE
Almost a year ago, the tech giant announced that it has yet to record successful hack attempts on iPhone devices running Lockdown Mode despite its launch nearly three and half prior? No wait let me check dates again - articles say "almost four years after launching" so feature launched around 2019-early March.
Key Points
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1Apple states that no iPhone or other supported devices running the opt-in feature have ever been successfully compromised by mercenaries' spyware.
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2The company has confirmed this 100% protection record despite ongoing news about security exploits and patches for older software versions.
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3Lockdown Mode was introduced in early 2023 as a user-specific setting designed to harden device security against advanced threats.
Developments
Perspectives
Apple states that no one using the opt-in feature has ever been successfully targeted by mercenaries or hacked with its additional security protections enabled.
— (Mar 27, 17:05) - appleworld.today"We are not aware of any successful mercenary spyware attacks against a Lockdown Mode-enabled Apple device," an official spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch regarding the feature's record over four years since its launch.
— (Mar 27, 16:35) - Macrumors"Apple says that nobody has ever been successfully hacked when their iPhone or other devices were in Lockdown Mode," highlighting how vital this specific security measure is for users who enable it manually on iOS and macOS.
— (Mar 27, 15:55) - Appleinsider"Apple states that its new feature has proven effective against hack attempts so far" while simultaneously patching known exploits in older software versions to alert customers of the necessary updates this week.
— [mar.03] (Mar 27,14:59) - appleinsider"Apple claims that it hasn't seen any successful spyware attacks targeting Apple devices using Lockdown Mode" even as a leak suggests hacking tools are being developed for users running older operating systems.
— (mar.03] (Mar 27,14:59) - techcrunchApple reports it has not encountered any successful mercenary spyware attacks against iPhones with Lockdown Mode enabled, despite the feature being available for over three years and designed to restrict apps that could be exploited. Additionally, users on older iOS versions are receiving critical notifications warning of active web-based threats targeting outdated software while urging them to install updates immediately.
Apple states there are no records or evidence that mercenary spyware has successfully attacked any device running its 2022-introduced "Lockdown" security feature. Independent researchers from Amnesty International, Citizen Lab (University of Toronto), and Google have corroborated this claim by finding either zero successful compromises on enabled devices in their databases or instances where the software actively aborted infection attempts upon detecting Lockdown Mode was active.
Apple states it has never been successfully hacked when a device is using Lockdown Mode because spyware attacks fail to bypass these hardened security settings enabled by users on iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 10+, and macOS Ventura+. While the feature protects high-risk individuals like journalists from mercenary or nation-state spies through specific system changes such as blocking attachments in Messages app.
Apple has patched known exploits on older iPhones this week while confirming that its new "Lockdown Mode" remains completely hack-free despite being designed as extreme protection against rare cyber threats. This optional security feature significantly restricts device functionality by blocking specific apps, websites, and wireless connections to reduce the attack surface for highly targeted spyware attacks.