US tech giant Apple has said it's fixed a dangerous security flaw in up-to-date iPhones and iPads. Researchers had found that a prominent dissident had been targeted with a previously unknown method of hacking.
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Apple confirmed Friday it had issued a software patch to fix a security issue, which had become known after a prominent United Arab Emirates dissident, Ahmed Mansoor, warned he might have been targeted by hackers.
Mansoor had received a text message that invited him to click on a web link. But instead of clicking, he forwarded the message to researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.
"Once infected, Mansoor's phone would have become a digital spy in his pocket," Citizen Lab said in a statement. "It would have been capable of employing his iPhone camera and microphone to snoop on activity in the vicinity of the device, recording his WhatsApp and Viber calls, logging messages sent in mobile chat apps, and tracking his movements."
A short history of hacking
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Citizen Lab did not directly accuse UAE officials of being behind the attempted hack, but it said similar attacks on critics of the regime had been connected to the government.
Researchers attributed the attack software to a private seller of monitoring systems, Israel's NSO Group.
"I can't think of a more compelling case of serial misuse of lawful intercept malware than the targeting of Mansoor," Citizen Lab's John Scott-Railton said.
Five years ago: From Steve to Tim
Five years ago, US tech giant Apple started a new era as Tim Cook took over the reins from the legendary Steve Jobs. Has the new CEO at the helm of the world's most valuable firm made a difference? We believe he has.
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The rise of the iPhone
Tim Cook's name is clearly associated with promoting the smartphone boom worldwide. Under him, the iPhone has become Apple's most important product. The Cupertino-based company recently reported the sale of its one-billionth smartphone. The iconic gadget accounts for up to two-thirds of the firm's earnings.
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No time to waste
It was to be feared that any other new product would pale besides the iPhone. But the Apple Watch, which Cook unveiled in 2014, has managed to stand its ground. The CEO is keeping mum about sales figures, but analysts estimate 1.5 million units are sold every quarter, also creating substantial profits.
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Losing direction
Not every foray Tim Cook made into enlarging the company's product range proved a success, though. Take Apple Maps. The Web mapping service launched in 2012. Users back then were not amused because of the many bugs it "featured." The app also completely ignored the needs of people using public transportation.
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Happy investors
Only a year into his time as Apple's CEO, Cook decided to change some vital aspects of the firm's corporate culture. Among other things, he said good-bye to the policy of unconditional cash hoarding and announced shareholders would be paid a dividend - for the first time in 17 years! Apple's cash reserves have swollen further to some $232 billion (205 billion euros) all the same.
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Investing in the future
Like his predecessor, Cook doesn't want to leave anything to chance. And he wants to make sure Apple doesn't miss out on any major tech developments. To secure a bit of the promising music streaming business, the firm shelled out $3 billion to take over Beats. It also invested another billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing and a lot more money in the Siri voice assistant.
