Apple has sent another wave of mercenary spyware warnings, and this time the alerts reached users in 110 countries.
The notifications tell targeted individuals that their iPhones may have been hit by state-sponsored or mercenary spyware. Apple has run this alert system since 2021 and has now sent these warnings multiple times a year to users across roughly 150 countries total, making the current 110-country round one of many. As in past rounds, Apple isn't naming the attacker, the spyware vendor, or the exploit used. The advice hasn't changed either: enable Lockdown Mode and get help from a security expert.
The real story here is the pace, not the number. Five years of alerts arriving several times a year suggests the mercenary spyware business Apple keeps flagging hasn't cooled off, it has become routine enough to need a standing warning system. That a locked-down platform like iOS still draws this much sustained targeting says the attackers behind it are well-resourced, not opportunistic.
Lockdown Mode remains Apple's main answer, and it works, but it also strips out features many people rely on daily, which is a blunt trade to offer as your best defense against spyware you won't describe.