"Convene urgent meeting on Apple warning row": CPI(M) MP writes to IT panel chief

New Delhi [India], November 1 : CPI (M) MP John Brittas on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT and requested it to convene an urgent meeting for examination of the recent threat notification messages issued to iPhone users in India.
In his letter to the IT Panel chief, Brittas said, "The gravity of this situation cannot be understated, as it not only raises concerns about the security of personal data but also the potential implications for national security. This notification is reminiscent of the Pegasus spyware scandal, which targeted voices critical of the ruling dispensation, and is a matter of deep concern for our democracy."
CPI(M) MP further stated that the nature and credibility of the security threat identified by Apple and the extent of vulnerability of Indian iPhone users to hacking attempts should be examined.
"The potential involvement of state-supported hackers and their motivations and the adequacy of cyber security measures in place to protect the privacy and security of Mobile Phone users in India," he said.
Equating the Apple warning row with the Pegasus issue, Brittas further said, "The gravity of this situation cannot be understated, as it not only raises concerns about the security of personal data but also the potential implications for national security. This notification is reminiscent of the Pegasus spyware scandal, which targeted voices critical of the ruling dispensation, and is a matter of deep concern for our democracy."
Earlier Apple on Tuesday, officially announced that it does not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker.
"State-sponsored attackers are very well-funded and sophisticated, and their attacks evolve over time. Detecting such attacks relies on threat intelligence signals that are often imperfect and incomplete. It's possible that some Apple threat notifications may be false alarms, or that some attacks are not detected," Apple said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that the government has asked Apple to join the investigation with "accurate information on the alleged state-sponsored attacks".
"The Government of Bharat takes its role of protecting the privacy and security of all citizens very seriously and will investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications. In light of such information and widespread speculation, we have also asked Apple to join the investigation with real, accurate information on the alleged state-sponsored attacks," Vaishnaw said.