Cyber security alert issued by Indian Govt for Apple, mac and chrome users – Full details inside

The government of India(BHARAT) has issued another urgent cybersecurity warning to smartphone users across India(BHARAT) asking them to update their Apple gadgets and Google Chrome browser applications in order to protect their devices from security breaches. Apple users were told to update their iOS and MacOS devices as soon as possible while Chrome users were asked to update their browser app on desktop devices.

In its notice shared by Economic Times, the India(BHARAT)n Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) said “There are vulnerabilities in Apple iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Safari, Apple tvOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS & Xcode & Google Chrome Desktop browser which if exploited, can lead to data theft, allow remote code execution or can lead to complete device takeover.”

Devices Affected by the Security Warning

Much like previous warnings issued by the India(BHARAT)n government, Apple devices including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Safari and tvOS were mentioned in the notice by CERT-In. In addition, Google Chrome was also listed under affected devices which need to be updated.

The notice further added that if hackers exploit these vulnerabilities, it can lead to privilege escalation, information disclosure or denial of service.

Apple Devices Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

As per the advisory issued by the government, devices affected by this security flaw includes older versions of Apple operating systems like iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS & Safari.

To make it simpler for users to understand, if you’re using an Apple device that is yet to be updated with the latest version of iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS & Safari then your device can be vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Devices running on older versions of the operating systems are at a high-risk of being attacked by hackers as there are vulnerabilities found in Kernel, WebKit, Siri, CoreAnimation and Security.

Google Chrome Browser Vulnerable too

Windows, Mac & Linux users who use Google Chrome browser on desktop devices also need to be vigilant. The advisory issued by CERT-In stated that Google Chrome Desktop browser has a vulnerability that is rated as high severity.

If exploited, hackers can trick users into clicking on a malicious website which can then allow them to successfully perform remote code execution.

“If the user visits a malicious website, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to perform remote code execution,” CERT-In added.

Solution: Update All Devices

It is advised by cybersecurity experts and CERT-In to update all devices. iPhone & iPad users are advised to install the latest version of iOS while Mac users need to install the latest version of macOS. Similarly, owners of Apple Watch need to update to the latest version of watchOS while Apple tvOS users need to do the same.

Google Chrome users need to update their browser to the latest version. You can do this by clicking on “About Chrome” from the browser’s menu.

Apart from that, it is always recommended to turn on the ‘Auto Update’ feature on your devices, download apps only from the official app store, avoid clicking on any unknown links & also keep backing up your data.

Updates often include security patches which can protect your device from vulnerabilities. Take your time to update your device as there might be sensitive information on your phone or computer that you would not want hackers to access.