According to several reports, an Israeli company is selling software that can hack iPhones with one click. Should you be concerned?
Hack iPhones with one click
It sounds unbelievable, but it is possible: with one click on a link your entire iPhone can be hacked. This happened a few years ago with the hacker software Pegasus. These makers (the NSO Group) already had to justify themselves to the EU.
However, it does not stop there, because the company Quadreams now offers similar software with ‘Reign’. Reign exploits a ‘zero-day leak’. This is an (iOS) leak that is not yet known to Apple, but hackers are already exploiting it. In the meantime (among others according to Microsoft) several iPhones from organizations in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East have already been infected with the spyware.
Is your iPhone at risk?
In short: yes, but the chance that your iPhone will become infected is very small. Apple has not patched the vulnerabilities the program currently exploits. In addition, the malicious software is also constantly modified. Still, you don’t have to be very afraid, because the spyware is (and was) mainly abused by prominent people in politics and journalists.
Nevertheless, it is always important to pay close attention. Don’t just click on every link you receive. And always wonder what exactly you put on your iPhone. Apps from the App Store are safe, but if Apple will soon allow other Apple Stores, you will also have to pay close attention to them. Also make sure you always install the latest updates as soon as possible, then you will only make hacking iPhones more difficult.
Read more: this is how you check if your iPhone is infected with Pegasus spyware
What is Pegasus again (and what does it do)?
The Pegasus software has been installed on iPhones (and Android devices) since 2014. In 2020, Pegasus was widely discredited because malicious parties could use the software to spy on and suppress journalists, politicians and citizens.
When an iPhone is infected with Pegasus (or the new Reign), the device can be used to view all information on the iPhone. This includes passwords, messages, photos, contact lists and your location data. Even scarier, the software can turn on the microphone and camera remotely. Someone can also take (and forward) screenshots of the screen unseen.
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