I don’t talk my clients out of much. But based on a quick interview with them, I often talk them out of having their iPhone scanned for spyware. That however might be changing.
iPhone spyware is usually reserved for government surveillance. So if you are a politician, an activist, a human rights campaigner, your a target. That likely changed with iVerify’s Advanced Mobile Threat Report 2026, published November 10. To highlight:
“In 2026, that changed. The exposure of DarkSword and Coruna in March, and the leak of DarkSword on GitHub, put government-grade iOS exploits in criminal hands. Attackers delivered them through online ads, reached ordinary employees, and erased their traces before defenders could respond. Android faced the same shift, with cheap, ready-made kits that let criminals take over phones remotely.”
This is of course, bad. Google’s Threat Intelligence Group sings a similar story. What this means is you need to be on guard. But the question is how? I have a few tips:
Keeping your iPhone updated is the most effective defense. You should install patches shortly after they are available.
Only download apps from trusted sources, and check the developer before installing unfamiliar software. I would not trust the Apple App Store to keep you completely safe. The same goes for certificates or profiles that you have no knowledge of.
Using strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication also helps protect accounts.
People concerned about sophisticated, targeted spyware can consider Lockdown Mode, which restricts certain apps, websites, and features to reduce potential attack paths. That is the nuclear option. But it does work.
I also recommend watching this video from John Scott Railton of The Citizen Lab at the University Of Toronto for other useful tips.
This entry was posted on November 10, 2026 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Keeping iPhone Users Safe From Spyware
I don’t talk my clients out of much. But based on a quick interview with them, I often talk them out of having their iPhone scanned for spyware. That however might be changing.
iPhone spyware is usually reserved for government surveillance. So if you are a politician, an activist, a human rights campaigner, your a target. That likely changed with iVerify’s Advanced Mobile Threat Report 2026, published November 10. To highlight:
“In 2026, that changed. The exposure of DarkSword and Coruna in March, and the leak of DarkSword on GitHub, put government-grade iOS exploits in criminal hands. Attackers delivered them through online ads, reached ordinary employees, and erased their traces before defenders could respond. Android faced the same shift, with cheap, ready-made kits that let criminals take over phones remotely.”
This is of course, bad. Google’s Threat Intelligence Group sings a similar story. What this means is you need to be on guard. But the question is how? I have a few tips:
I also recommend watching this video from John Scott Railton of The Citizen Lab at the University Of Toronto for other useful tips.
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This entry was posted on November 10, 2026 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.