Apple reported that warnings were sent on December 2 but provided few details about the alleged hacking attempts, the number of users affected, or the parties suspected of conducting the attacks. “To date we have notified users in over 150 countries in total,” Apple said in a statement.
Google, owned by Alphabet, issued its alert on December 3, warning users known to have been targeted using Intellexa spyware. According to the company, “several hundred accounts across various countries, including Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Angola, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan” were affected. Intellexa, a cyber intelligence firm sanctioned by the U.S. government, has been reported to be “evading restrictions and thriving,” according to Google. Executives tied to the company did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Apple and Google are among several tech firms that regularly notify users when they believe they have been targeted by state-sponsored hackers. Previous waves of warnings have drawn significant attention and prompted investigations by government bodies, including the European Union, where senior officials have previously been targeted by spyware.
Experts say these notifications play a crucial role in holding cyber spies accountable. John Scott-Railton, a researcher at the Canadian digital watchdog group Citizen Lab, explained that alerts impose costs on attackers by warning potential victims. “They are also often the first step in a string of investigations and discoveries that can lead to real accountability around spyware abuses,” he said.
The latest alerts highlight the ongoing global battle between tech companies and sophisticated cyber threats, as governments and private actors continue to exploit spyware to surveil individuals across multiple countries.