Apple to Launch ‘Lockdown’ Mode Feature To Prevent Future Digital Hacks

As part of a new approach to prevent “the most sophisticated digital threats,” Apple users will soon have the option to lock down their iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

According to Apple, “Lockdown Mode” will be included in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura this fall.

The device’s Lockdown Mode will restrict some functionalities, such as blocking FaceTime calls from people you haven’t called before and some web browsing features. Lockdown Mode is “an extreme, optional protection for the very small number of users who face grave, targeted threats to their digital security.”

Lockdown Mode will also restrict web browsing options, disable features like link previews, and restrict the majority of mail attachments. Additionally, users won’t be able to utilize a mobile device management program on their work phones or access PCs when their phone is locked.

The Verge claims that these features have a history of being the target of hacks.

According to Apple, the new feature is designed to support people who are more likely to be targeted “because of who they are or what they do,” such as journalists or human rights activists.

In a release on Wednesday, Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of Security Engineering and Architecture, referred to Lockdown Mode as a breakthrough feature.

“While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are,” he adds.

Government agencies worldwide have been purchasing phone hacking tools from private companies like Israel’s NSO Group.

Apple sued Israel’s NSO Group in federal court last year for breaking into iPhones and other Apple goods. Apple said in its complaint that NSO Group employees were “amoral 21st-century mercenaries who have created highly sophisticated cyber-surveillance machinery that invites routine and flagrant abuse.”