Apple to India: US Team Rushing to Discuss iPhone Security Alerts!
In the beginning of this month, several opposition party leaders were startled when they received alarming notifications on their iPhones, warning them about potential state-sponsored attackers attempting to compromise their devices remotely. Concerned about this issue, the leaders shared screenshots of the alerts on their X accounts, seeking clarification. However, no further action was taken regarding the iPhone threat notifications, leading the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in), a department under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to issue a show cause notice to Apple. According to reports, a group of cyber security executives from Apple is scheduled to meet with the agency.
Apple meets CERT’s iPhone threat notifications
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday that Apple will have to respond to the announcement made by their global cyber security team.
“They have to come here to answer those questions. The basic question is going on,” the minister told reporters.
He said CERT-In has met with local Apple representatives, but the problem is not their ability to respond.
“Their cyber security personnel have to come and meet with CERT-In, and they always come from the United States,” the minister said.
Asked about the deadline given to Apple to submit a response, the minister said he was not sure of the dates but expected the team to meet Cert-In officials sometime this month.
A MeitY official said Apple’s cybersecurity team will come this month only if they get the visa in time.
Members of Parliament who received an alert on their iPhone include Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera, K C Venugopal, Supriya Shrinate, T S Singhdeo and Bhupinder S Hooda; Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi and some aides of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also received these iPhone threat notifications.
(with income from PTI)
