If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
如果苹果向你发送推送通知警示间谍软件攻击，请务必重视
Apple has sent out a new batch of notifications to customers who it suspects have been targeted with spyware capable of hacking into their devices. The tech giant sends out these notifications on occasion to alert its customers that their iPhones, iPads, or Macs might have been compromised with spyware typically used by governments. 苹果公司近日向一批用户发送了新通知，怀疑这些用户已成为能够入侵其设备的间谍软件的目标。这家科技巨头偶尔会发送此类通知，以提醒用户其 iPhone、iPad 或 Mac 可能已受到通常由政府使用的间谍软件的威胁。
Apple told TechCrunch that it sent out the notifications on Thursday to users targeted in 110 countries. Apple says to date it has notified customers in over 150 countries, giving some context to how far government-used spyware has spread around the world. 苹果向 TechCrunch 表示，这些通知已于周四发送给分布在 110 个国家/地区的目标用户。苹果称，迄今为止，它已通知了超过 150 个国家/地区的用户，这在一定程度上反映了政府使用的间谍软件在全球范围内的蔓延程度。
In a new support article on its website, Apple says it will notify users directly on their iPhone lock screen with a push notification that urges the person to take action. Apple told TechCrunch that it’s updated the user experience, making it easier for recipients to access important information on what to do next. 在其网站的一篇新支持文章中，苹果表示将直接通过 iPhone 锁屏上的推送通知来提醒用户，并敦促其采取行动。苹果告诉 TechCrunch，他们已经更新了用户体验，使接收者能够更轻松地获取关于后续操作的重要信息。
When received, a threat notification will read: “Apple detected a mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to protect your data and device.” Apple also sends notifications by email and to users when they log-in to their account. 收到威胁通知时，内容会显示：“苹果检测到针对您 iPhone 的雇佣兵间谍软件攻击。您可以立即采取行动来保护您的数据和设备。”苹果还会通过电子邮件以及用户登录账户时发送此类通知。
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at digital research group Citizen Lab, first highlighted the latest batch of spyware notifications in a thread on X. If you receive a notification like this, take it seriously. We’ve explained before what happens when someone gets a notification saying they’ve been targeted. It may not mean that you have been successfully hacked, but you should still take immediate steps to protect your device and data. 数字研究组织“公民实验室”（Citizen Lab）的高级研究员约翰·斯科特-雷尔顿（John Scott-Railton）率先在 X（原 Twitter）的帖子中披露了这批最新的间谍软件通知。如果你收到这样的通知，请务必重视。我们之前已经解释过，当有人收到被针对的通知时意味着什么。这可能并不代表你已经被成功入侵，但你仍应立即采取措施保护你的设备和数据。
The push notification also opens up advice on who to reach out to for help. You will also be advised to switch on Lockdown Mode, a security feature that makes it far more difficult for spyware attacks to succeed. According to Apple, it has yet to see a case where someone’s device was hacked while Lockdown Mode was enabled. 推送通知还会提供关于寻求何种帮助的建议。你还会被建议开启“锁定模式”（Lockdown Mode），这是一项能极大增加间谍软件攻击难度的安全功能。据苹果称，目前尚未发现有设备在开启“锁定模式”的情况下被成功入侵的案例。
Spyware attacks are generally rare, but the proliferation of the surveillance technology in recent years has allowed them to be abused by governments and deployed against critics, including members of civil society. 间谍软件攻击通常较为罕见，但近年来监控技术的激增使其被政府滥用，并被部署用于针对批评人士，包括公民社会成员。
Citizen Lab’s Scott-Railton told TechCrunch that these new push notifications are a “big improvement” in urging people to seek help to secure their devices since Apple debuted its spyware alerts in 2021. “Notifications create a critical signal that a community is being targeted. People get an alert, and then some of them reach out and seek help. Often this kicks off an investigation that reveals many, many more cases,” said Scott-Railton. 公民实验室的斯科特-雷尔顿告诉 TechCrunch，自苹果 2021 年首次推出间谍软件警报以来，这些新的推送通知在敦促人们寻求帮助以保护设备方面是一个“巨大的进步”。斯科特-雷尔顿说：“通知发出了一个关键信号，表明某个群体正成为目标。人们收到警报后，其中一些人会主动寻求帮助。这往往会引发调查，从而揭露出更多更多的案例。”
Citing the ongoing scandal in Poland over the former government’s use of spyware against its rivals, Scott-Railton said that without Apple’s notifications, “that entire massive scandal about spyware abuse in the Polish election wouldn’t have been uncovered.” 斯科特-雷尔顿以波兰前政府利用间谍软件对付竞争对手的持续丑闻为例，表示如果没有苹果的通知，“关于波兰选举中间谍软件滥用的整个巨大丑闻就不会被揭露出来。”