Protecting Your Device from Spyware: The Growing Threat

Spyware attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and political dissidents are becoming increasingly common. In 2025, WhatsApp notified 90 users, many of whom were journalists and civil society members across Europe, that they had been targeted by Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions.

What is Spyware?

Spyware gives its operators virtually full access to the target's device and data. It can record phone calls, steal chat messages, access photos, and even switch on the device's camera and microphone to record ambient sound and nearby conversations. Spyware also typically tracks a person's real-time location.

How to Protect Your Device from Spyware

Tech giants Apple, Google, and Meta offer opt-in features specifically designed to counter targeted spyware attacks. These features add extra protection to your device, sometimes by turning off or limiting some regular features. It's a tradeoff, but having used these myself for a long time, I have never found them to be too onerous or annoying to use.

Apple's Lockdown Mode

Apple's Lockdown Mode is available on all Apple devices, including iPhones. When enabled, your device won't function like it typically does, but it will be more secure. There is evidence that Lockdown Mode has helped in the past, including a Citizen Lab finding that it stopped one spyware attack carried out with NSO Group's Pegasus software.

Google's Advanced Protection Program

Google launched its Advanced Protection Program in 2017. This feature is designed to make your Google account more resilient against malicious hackers of all kinds. Advanced Protection Program includes features such as adding a physical security key or software passkey as an additional verification factor and adding a recovery phone and email.

WhatsApp's Strict Account Settings

WhatsApp launched Strict Account Settings, an opt-in feature that switches on some privacy and security controls depending on the operating system. On Android and iOS, Strict Account Settings turns on features such as limiting forwarded messages and adding an extra layer of verification when logging in.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

While no security measure is perfect, these features have been proven effective. Runa Sandvik, a security researcher who has worked to protect journalists and other at-risk communities for over a decade, recommends using these features as a defense against sophisticated spyware. She notes that they are free, easy to enable, and the best defense we have today against spyware.

If you suspect you may be a target of government surveillance, consider using these features to enhance your device's security.

• Apple's Lockdown Mode can be enabled on all Apple devices, including iPhones.
• Google's Advanced Protection Program can be turned on by going to the official page and clicking "Get Started."
• WhatsApp's Strict Account Settings can be enabled on Android and iOS devices by going to Settings, then Privacy, and scrolling down to Advanced.

By taking these steps, you can enhance your device's security and protect yourself from spyware attacks. Remember, security is a constant effort, and it's up to each of us to stay vigilant and protect our devices from these threats.