The tech companies Apple and Google regularly send warnings around the world to confront state-backed hackers. Most recently, the spyware Intellexa is said to have attacked several hundred accounts in various countries.
Google and Apple are warning their users about new spyware attacks. According to Reuters, the two tech companies are announcing increased measures to protect their customers from targeted hacker attacks. Corresponding warnings should be sent several times a year – to those users who may be in the sights of state-backed attackers.
“Threat reports impose costs on cyber spies by alerting victims,” John Scott-Railton, a researcher at Canadian digital surveillance group Citizen Lab, told Reuters. They are often the first step in a series of investigations that can later lead to proceedings for spyware misuse.
According to the report, Apple announced that it had sent warnings to users in over 150 countries on December 2, 2025. However, according to Reuters, the company did not provide any further information about the alleged hacker attack – neither about who was behind the attacks nor how many people were affected.
Shortly afterwards, Google also notified those users who had been targeted by spyware from the provider Intellexa. According to Reuters, the spyware is said to have attacked several hundred accounts in countries such as Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Angola, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan.
Google explained in a blog post how Intellexa circumvents restrictions and is successful despite being sanctioned by the US government. Previous warnings are said to have made headlines and led to investigations by government authorities – including the European Union, whose employees themselves are said to have fallen victim to spyware attacks.
You might also be interested in: In November, the Zurich cantonal police warned about cybercriminals who had posed as Apple Support. The fraudsters used this to try to obtain sensitive data. Read more about it here.
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