Hackers Target German Lawyers' and Government Officials' Devices: Minister
Germany’s cybersecurity agency told lawmakers to treat their iPhones as possibly compromised after Apple warned of mercenary spyware attacks.
- On Sunday, German digital minister Karsten Wildberger confirmed that Apple notified members of the Bundestag and federal government that their iPhones may have been targeted by "mercenary spyware" beginning October 29.
- Apple describes this "mercenary spyware" as "vastly more sophisticated than regular cybercriminal activity," capable of accessing calls, messages, contacts, and location data, or activating microphones and cameras.
- Advising affected individuals to treat devices as compromised, the Federal Office for Information Security noted alerts cannot confirm successful attacks; Wildberger said the agency "reacted super quickly."
- Neither Apple nor German authorities have identified the perpetrators behind the targeting, nor has the government disclosed how many politicians received the warnings since they began.
- These warnings appear on iPhone lock screens, in settings, and via email, representing a severe security challenge that bypasses standard protections on encrypted communication platforms.
101 Articles
101 Articles
Apple warns German lawmakers their iPhones were targeted by spyware
Germany’s cybersecurity agency has told lawmakers who got Apple’s spyware warnings to treat their iPhones as possibly compromised. Several Bundestag members and other public figures have received the alerts since 29 October. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said so in a note on its website. In the alerts, Apple says it detected an […] This story continues at The Next Web
The German government has expressed deep concern over the possible hacking of the iPhones of government officials and lawmakers through spyware. Germany’s Federal Information Security Agency issued an urgent warning over the weekend, urging government officials who have received a notification from Apple in recent days to consider their devices no longer secure. According to the German government, Apple’s notifications began to be sent to those …
The Office of Information Security has warned some politicians that their mobile phones may be infected.
German politicians targeted by iPhone spyware
Apple has alerted German ministers that their iPhones may have been targeted in a spyware attack. It's not clear who is doing the attacking.Offices of the Bundesamt fur Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik in Bonn - image credit: BSIFollowing a wave of spyware alerts from Apple to 110 countries in August 2026, the company has reportedly now warned members of Germany's Bundestag and other federal departments. The alert went directly to the iPhon…
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