Criminals are using government-grade spyware to infect iPhones
Sophisticated iPhone spyware once reserved for government surveillance is now being used by cybercriminals against ordinary users, with a new security report finding that criminal attacks account for most of its detections. iPhone 18 The findings come from mobile security firm iVerify's Advanced Mobile Threat Report 2026 , published November 10. Researchers found 1.07 spyware infections per 1,000 consumer iOS scans, or roughly one in 900, while the rate dropped to 0.7 per 1,000 when enterprise devices were included. The figures reflect iVerify's users, not the global iPhone population. Its consumer base has more than tripled since early 2025, although the report doesn't disclose total scans or infections. The bigger shift is who's being targeted. Every enterprise infection linked to a criminal campaign involved a rank-and-file employee, not a high-profile executive. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
What happened?
Sophisticated iPhone spyware once reserved for government surveillance is now being used by cybercriminals against ordinary users, with a new security report finding that criminal attacks account for most of its detections. iPhone 18 The findings come from mobile security firm iVerify's Advanced Mobile Threat Report 2026 , published November 10. Researchers found 1.07 spyware infections per 1,000 consumer iOS scans, or roughly one in 900, while the rate dropped to 0.7 per 1,000 when enterprise devices were included. The figures reflect iVerify's users, not the global iPhone population. Its consumer base has more than tripled since early 2025, although the report doesn't disclose total scans or infections. The bigger shift is who's being targeted. Every enterprise infection linked to a criminal campaign involved a rank-and-file employee, not a high-profile executive. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Story details
Sophisticated iPhone spyware once reserved for government surveillance is now being used by cybercriminals against ordinary users, with a new security report finding that criminal attacks account for most of its detections.
iPhone 18 The findings come from mobile security firm iVerify's Advanced Mobile Threat Report 2026 , published November 10.
Researchers found 1.07 spyware infections per 1,000 consumer iOS scans, or roughly one in 900, while the rate dropped to 0.7 per 1,000 when enterprise devices were included.
Why it matters
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