The revelation about Pegasus, the spy system developed by NSO Group, marked a before and after in terms of the concept we have in relation to security and privacy of our devices. Apple was one of the companies to respond with the most virulence, and the lockdown is just one of several measures taken by those in Cupertino to deal with what the company calls “state-sponsored mercenary spyware,” which I think is a big definition. .

This is not, as I say, Apple’s first step in this direction. Already at the end of last year, the company condemned NSO Group for spying on iPhone users through Pegasus and with intent obtain a permanent injunction prohibiting NSO Group from using any Apple software, service or device. A laudable, if complicated, goal, since only an ongoing external audit of NSO Group’s operations would provide real assurance that the company is no longer using any Apple technology.

Perhaps out of mistrust, or perhaps to reinforce its commitment to the safety of its users, the company decided to go a step further by announcing through a press release, isolation mode, a special mode designed specifically for users who believe they might be a victim of this type of espionage.. Isolation Mode will be included in iOS 16, iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura, which Apple will release in the fall, although we don’t know if it will be in the first version or in a later update.

At this point it is important to clarify that the attacks are carried out using tools such as Pegasus are events aimed at very specific people, such as heads of state, political dissidents, journalists, diplomats, big businessmen, etc. Pegasus is the best-known of these services, but not the only one, and in theory those responsible claim to adhere to impeccable ethical codes. However, cases such as Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist and dissident who was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and who was spied on by Pegasus, question the degree of laxity NSO Group has with the said code in offering its services. ..

In other words, Isolation Mode is a solution aimed at a small, very small number of users who consider themselves in the crosshairs and therefore fear that they may be the target of actions with Pegasus and the like. In addition, we common people can use it if we wish, but it is not recommendedbecause the limitations of this mode are more than noticeable during normal use of the device.

While more features can be expected to be added in the future, these are the protections that Isolation Mode will have, according to Apple:

Why those protections? It’s not hard to guess Apple has a lot of information about how Pegasus works and what exploits it relies on. So we can imagine that with these specific measures, the operation of Pegasus and other similar services will be seriously compromised on iPhones, iPads and Macs that can be updated to these versions of the respective operating systems. Either way, it’s excellent news, a step in the right direction for Apple, and an example for the rest of the industry.