US Intelligence hacked thousands of iPhones: says Russia
Russia has accused the United States intelligence hacked thousands of iPhones owned by Russians and foreign diplomats in Russia. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claims that these hacking activities, known as “intelligence actions,” have affected the phones of Russians as well as diplomats from Israel, Syria, China, and NATO countries.The FSB, which is the successor to the Soviet-era KGB spy service, has accused Apple of working closely with US intelligence agencies, such as the National Security Agency (NSA). However, they have not provided any evidence to support their claim.Apple, in response, stated that they have not worked with any government to insert a backdoor into their products and have denied cooperating with authorities to compromise their devices.

The NSA has not yet commented on the accusation.

Additionally, the CEO of the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab revealed that several senior employees were targeted in a sophisticated cyberattack. The attack used an invisible iMessage with a malicious attachment to exploit vulnerabilities in the iOS operating system.

Kaspersky Lab, headquartered in Moscow with offices in many countries, did not attribute the attack to any specific country or actor.

This alleged cyber-espionage campaign is happening during a period of heightened tensions between Russia and the US due to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Last month, the US Department of Justice announced that it had disrupted a malware campaign conducted by the FSB over a span of 20 years, targeting more than 50 countries.

In March, the Kremlin reportedly advised officials involved in organizing Russia’s 2024 presidential election to avoid using iPhones due to concerns about potential infiltration by Western spy agencies.

Russia’s accusations against Apple and the US Intelligence hacked thousands of iPhones belonging to Russian users and diplomats have heightened tensions between Russia and the United States. Apple denies any collaboration with US intelligence agencies, while the cyberattack on Kaspersky Lab adds further complexity to the situation. These events highlight the importance of cybersecurity in our interconnected world.

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