Apple 'State-Sponsored Attacks': Indian Government Summons Apple's Security Expert for Meeting, Demand Explanation for Warning
Indian government questioned Apple over its internal threat algorithms and started investigation into the security of the iPhones. The reports said that the government pressed Apple official and said to come up with alternative explanations.
New Delhi, December 28: In October, there were reports about the government hacking into the iPhones of the Opposition as they received "state-sponsored attackers" warnings in their devices. The Opposition shared screenshots of the warning on social media saying they were attacked by state-sponsored attackers as they received the security notification on their iPhones. The state-sponsored attackers were reportedly trying to compromise the iPhones of the leaders.
According to the report by The Washington Post, Apple representatives were called by the Indian government over the warnings received in the Opposition's iPhones and demanded that the company help weaken the political impact of the warnings received on iPhones a few months back. The reports mentioned that three unidentified sources have informed the Washington Post about the situation. China’s Intelligence Agency Using Advanced AI System To Track US Spies and Others: Report.
According to The Washington Post, the Indian government summoned Apple's official from outside the country to a meeting in New Delhi. The government of India reportedly "pressed" them to come up with alternate explanations for the warning that the users received. The report further stated, "They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.".
As per reports, previously, Apple did not attribute the state-sponsored warnings to any specific state-sponsored attacker. On October 31, 2023, many Opposition leaders of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and some journalists received emails from Apple that some 'state-sponsored attackers' might try to compromise their iPhones. Some leaders shared screenshots over social media platforms as their proof. Microsoft and OpenAI Sued by The New York Times for Copyright Infringement, Lawsuit Calls Companies To Destroy AI Chatbot Models Using Copyrighted Material: Report.
As per the report by Hindustan Times, Apple said in its statement that the State-sponsored attackers are "well funded and sophisticated" and "detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals", which often are incomplete or imperfect. Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also showed concern over these warnings and dismissed the Opposition's claims that the government may be involved in attempts to compromise their phones and security. In his statement, he said the government is concerned about getting to the bottom of the issue.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2023 01:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).