The phone owned by Jeff Bezos that was allegedly hacked by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was an iPhone X. Hidden in a file received by Mr. Bezos was malware, granting attackers access to all aspects of the Amazon founder’s phone.
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Jeff Bezos Phone Sent Data via Apple Apps he Wasn’t Really Using
The malware, sent via WhatsApp, caused data to leave the device through apps Mr. Bezos did not appear to be using heavily. These included Safari and Mail. Furthermore, iCloud backups were not enabled on the iPhone X. That cannot, therefore, provide an explanation for the large amount of data leaving it. Cybersecurity experts reportedly said that the type of malware involved in the attack did not require the victim to actively click on a link to install it.
According to The New York Times, both Israeli firm NSO Group and Italian firm Hacking Team would have been able to undertake an attack like the one experienced by Mr. Bezos. NSO Group denied any involvement in the attack. Hacking Team did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. The Saudi Embassy described as “absurd” the idea it was involved in the hack.
So how do we defend against it?