Apple says it will notify users whose iPhones and devices have been compromised by state-sponsored hacking efforts, according to a support document.
The tech giant published its plans to inform the hacking victims last week after Apple sued the Israeli company NSO Group, claiming it broke U.S. law by selling spyware to hack into iPhones.
When Apple detects that a user has been targeted by state-sponsored hacking, it will send an iMessage and an email to the addresses on file, and a Threat Notification will be displayed when the user signs into Apple ID, Apple said.
"These users are individually targeted because of who they are or what they do," Apple said in the support document. "Unlike traditional cybercriminals, state-sponsored attackers apply exceptional resources to target a very small number of specific individuals and their devices, which makes these attacks much harder to detect and prevent.
"State-sponsored attacks are highly complex, cost millions of dollars to develop, and often have a short shelf life," Apple said. "The vast majority of users will never be targeted by such attacks."
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
Apple made the announcement as it filed the lawsuit against NSO Group, which has long insisted that it leases its technology only to legitimate governments to track criminals and enforce laws and interests.
“Apple’s notification of victims of espionage is beginning to reveal what a real horror show NSO Group’s services have facilitated,” Ron Deibert of the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said in an email.