Apple, an American multinational technology company, holds a lot of records. Not only is it the world’s largest information technology company by revenue and the world’s largest technology company by total assets but Apple is also the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer – after Samsung. However, the company is not without fault.
Recently an Israeli company called the NSO Group began selling a software that virtually allows access to anyone’s iPhone, giving them the ability to read texts and emails, trace calls and contacts, turn on the phone’s microphone, remember passwords, and trace the owner of the phone. The group boasts that their software works like a ghost would by tracking keystrokes without leaving a trace.
According to the New York Times, the NSO group has also been actively attempting to gain the trust of its targets by imitating the Red Cross, Facebook, CNN, Google, and the Pokemon Company, among others.
However, there is a fairly easy solution to prevent the software from accessing personal information. On Thursday, Apple released a new update, iOS 9.3.5, that fixes the holes the malicious software uses. All users have to do is go to General → Software Update→ Download to install the new update.
As always, Apple users should be sure to backup their information to a computer or their iCloud in case the update causes them to lose data on their phone. This has happened many times to users and backing up is the easiest and safest way to make sure data isn’t lost during the update.
