How to turn on Lockdown Mode and protect your iPhone from a rare cyber attack

Apple takes seriously the threat of targeted malware that hits its devices and extracts personal data from journalists, human rights activists, opposition politicians, and others in the crosshairs of repressive governments, criminal rings, and even contract spies. Aside from Apple suing companies in 2021 that they say produce “sophisticated, government-sponsored surveillance technology that enables its highly targeted spyware to monitor its victims,” ​​and assuring organizations that oppose cybersurveillance, Apple included iOS 16 Added new high security option called Lockdown Mode. You’ll also find lockdown mode in iPadOS 16.1 when it ships (expected October 2022) and in macOS 13 Ventura (coming later this year).

The vast majority of people do not need to use lockdown mode as it is designed to protect against tailored and targeted attacks that rely on the delivery of payloads via messages and other means containing previously undisclosed bugs (known as “zero-day” attacks). bug) exploit ). These attacks can gain unintended access to stored data, microphone and camera, and decrypted data in apps like iMessages while you’re composing messages or after you’ve received them.

Lockdown mode slows down your devices and prevents them from performing certain actions. Most of the time, it prevents potentially risky incoming data or functions from running on your hardware, such as: B. receiving non-image/video files in messages, installing system profiles or running complicated webpage scripts. It also blocks “invitations to Apple services” from people you haven’t made contact with: incoming FaceTime calls, an invitation to be part of a HomeKit “home,” and others.

How to activate lockdown mode

Unlike any other security method in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, lockdown mode is not intended to enhance protection for ordinary users. However, if you feel you are in a position where you are either vulnerable to attack or about to experience an attack, or are being asked to protect yourself by an expert, you can enable lockdown mode for your safety, as long as the threat persists:

• On iOS and iPadOSgo to Settings > Privacy & Security > lockdown mode. Read the brief explanation, tap Turn on the lockdown mode, go through the more specific list of exceptions and tap Activate lockdown mode. Confirm again: tap Power on and restart and enter your device passcode. Your iPhone or iPad will restart immediately.
• In the upcoming macOS Venturago to System Preferences > Privacy & SecurityRead description, click O turnn Next to the Lockdown Mode label, type your administrator password and click Power on and restart. Your Mac will go straight into restart mode.

When your device boots up and you enter your passcode or login password, you may find that it takes a little longer to get ready – on the order of ten seconds, not minutes. In my testing, I found that performance was generally okay, but you’ll sometimes notice jerky behavior that’s not common in any of the operating systems.

For most purposes you won’t notice anything else unless you’re trying to perform an action locked by the mode, e.g. For example, installing a profile or opening an unapproved attachment type in messages. In Safari, it’s a little more obvious: every site has blocking enabled on the right or below the address bar.

However, you can add exceptions if you need to take full advantage of specific websites:

• On iOS or iPadOStap the Reading View (AA) icon, tap lockdown modeand confirm by tapping Turn off. Use this method to re-enable blocking mode on the website or go to Settings > Privacy & Security > lockdown mode > Configure web browsing to change one or more exceptions you have made.
• In VenturaControl-click/right-click in an empty area of ​​the address bar, choose settings to the page nameand disable Activate lockdown mode, and then confirm that choice. You can remove or leave the exception in the same way safari > settings > Web pages > lockdown mode to examine all lockdown exceptions.

When you think the danger is over, you can turn off lockdown mode and start again:

• On iOS or iPadOSgo back to settings > Privacy & Security > lockdown modebeat Disable lockdown modebeat Power off and restartenter your passcode and your iPhone or iPad will restart in normal mode.
• In Venturareturn to system settings > Privacy & Securityclick Turn off Next lockdown modeauthenticate with Touch ID or enter your admin password, confirm with one click Power off and restartand your Mac will restart in normal mode.

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