tech
December 30, 2025
You've been targeted by government spyware. Now what?
Tech companies are increasingly warning their customers that they have been targeted by governments with advanced government spyware, such as NSO's Pegasus or Paragon's Graphite. What happens after receiving a threat notification?
TL;DR
- Users are receiving notifications from Apple, Google, and WhatsApp about targeted mercenary spyware attacks.
- These warnings indicate potential targeting by government hackers, though not necessarily a successful hack.
- Recommended immediate actions include enabling Lockdown Mode (Apple) or Advanced Protection (Google) and ensuring multi-factor authentication is active.
- Various organizations like Access Now, Amnesty International, and The Citizen Lab offer investigative assistance, particularly for journalists, dissidents, academics, and human rights activists.
- Private companies and individual experts like iVerify, Safety Sync Group, Hexordia, Lookout, and Costin Raiu also provide forensic investigation services.
- Investigation typically starts with a remote forensic check of diagnostic reports, potentially escalating to sending device backups or the device itself.
- Modern spyware often uses a 'smash and grab' strategy to exfiltrate data and remove traces, making detection difficult.
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