From CNET: Apple for years has marketed its iPhones, iPads and Macs as the most secure and privacy-focused devices on the market. On Wednesday, it bolstered that effort with a new feature coming this fall called Lockdown Mode, designed to fight targeted hacking attempts like the Pegasus malware, which oppressive governments reportedly used on human rights workers, lawyers, politicians and journalists. It also announced a $10 million grant and up to $2 million bug bounty to encourage further research into such threats.
The tech giant said that Lockdown Mode is designed to add extra protections to its phones, such as blocking attachments and link previews in messages, potentially hackable web browsing technologies, and incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers. Apple devices will also not accept accessory connections unless the device is unlocked, and people can't install new remote management software on the devices while they're in Lockdown Mode as well. The new feature will be made available for test software being used by developers this summer and released for free publicly in the fall.
"While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are," said Ivan Krstić, Apple's head of security engineering and architecture, in a statement. "Lockdown Mode is a groundbreaking capability that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting users from even the rarest, most sophisticated attacks."
Along with the new Lockdown Mode, which Apple calls an "extreme" measure, the company announced a $10 million grant to the Dignity and Justice Fund, which was established by the Ford Foundation, to help support human rights and fight social repression.
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