Indian opposition politicians have recently received warnings from Apple that their accounts may be under attack by state-sponsored actors. These alerts have caused a stir in India’s political arena, leading to speculation about who may be behind them. Here are the details…
Indian Opposition Politicians Share Evidence of State-Sponsored Attacks
Several Indian opposition politicians say they have received emails from Apple warning them that they may be targeted by state-sponsored attackers trying to hack their iPhones. This has sparked a flurry of accusations and concerns among Indian politicians. Politician Mahua Moitra shared her Apple warning on social media, along with a pointed message directed at the government, accusing it of involvement in the state-sponsored attacks.
There is good reason to be concerned about state-sponsored surveillance and cyberattacks in India. In 2021, it was revealed that the phone numbers of Indian journalists and politicians were on lists targeted by the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The opposition accused the government of involvement, citing the intrusive nature of such surveillance.
Tech minister Ashwini Vaishnaw did not deny that India had access to Pegasus, but he pointed out that not all of the listed numbers had been compromised. He also mentioned that Indian law allows for legal interception of communications, which adds to the complexity of the situation.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticized Apple’s warnings, saying that the information provided is vague and non-specific. He suggested that the notifications might be based on incomplete or imperfect data, and that this could lead to false alarms. While his criticism has valid points, it is still unclear whether the warnings are accurate.
Only Apple knows what incidents led to the issuance of these state-sponsored attack alerts, and the company has refused to provide any further details. Apple says that disclosing this information could help attackers adapt their tactics and evade detection in the future.
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