Earlier this month, a noteworthy incident unfolded as at least nine political leaders from opposition parties found themselves confronted with a concerning message on their iPhones. The message warned of “state-sponsored attackers attempting to remotely compromise” their devices. In response, these leaders took to their X accounts to share screenshots of the alerts, seeking clarification on the matter. However, the tension surrounding the iPhone threat notifications eventually dissipated without any tangible consequences.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), took action by issuing a show cause notice to Apple. Subsequently, reports surfaced indicating that a team of cybersecurity executives from Apple is slated to meet with CERT-In to address the concerns raised by the alert.
On Friday, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, disclosed that Apple is required to respond to the notice, a task assigned to their global cybersecurity team. Chandrasekhar emphasized that the issue at hand is an ongoing one, stating, “They have to come here and answer those questions. The basic issue is ongoing.”
According to the minister, CERT-In has already engaged with local representatives of Apple, but the complexity of the matter necessitates the involvement of Apple’s cybersecurity experts from the United States. Chandrasekhar noted that it is crucial for Apple’s cybersecurity team to meet with CERT-In officials to provide clarity on the situation.
Responding to queries about the deadline for Apple’s response, the minister expressed uncertainty about specific dates but indicated an expectation that the team from Apple would meet with CERT-In officials sometime within the current month.
A MeitY official added that the Apple cybersecurity team’s visit is contingent upon obtaining timely visas, and if successful, the meeting is anticipated to occur within the month.
The list of political figures who received the warning notifications on their iPhones includes Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, along with party leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera, K C Venugopal, Supriya Shrinate, T S Singhdeo, and Bhupinder S Hooda. Additionally, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were among those who received the alerts. Other recipients included Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, and some associates of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
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