Special features in smartphones and apps protect you from spyware
Attacks against journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists via spyware are no longer rare. In early 2025, WhatsApp warned about 90 users across Europe that they were targeted by the Israeli company Paragon Solutions. Shortly after, Apple also sent threat notifications to iOS users. Forensic results confirmed that two journalists' devices were compromised by the Graphite spyware using a "zero-click" attack. This is reported by Techcrunch.com .
Over the past 15 years, security researchers have documented numerous successful attacks carried out by government hackers. These attacks rely on expensive and sophisticated tools that allow covert access to smartphones, which store all data related to a person's daily life. Spyware gives the operator full access to all data on the device, the ability to record calls, steal messages, remotely activate the camera and microphone, and track location in real time.
In response to such threats, tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta have introduced enhanced protection systems for their users. Specifically, these companies offer special features to counter targeted attacks. Although these features may limit some standard capabilities, the level of security they provide far outweighs these minor inconveniences. TechCrunch and industry experts strongly recommend using these security tools if you believe you might be under surveillance due to your activities.
No security measure is perfect, and spyware creators are constantly looking for new vulnerabilities. However, this does not mean one should abandon existing protective tools. On the contrary, these features have proven their effectiveness. As security researcher Runa Sandvik noted, these features are free, easy to enable, and represent the best defense against sophisticated spyware today. If they interfere with anything, they can be turned off at any time.
