Germany says lawmakers’ iPhones may have been hacked with spyware


The German government is warning politicians and public figures that they were targeted by government-backed spyware, days after Apple began sending out notifications warning victims that their iPhones may have been hacked.

Germany’s federal cybersecurity office, known as the BSI, said in a note over the weekend that it had become aware that members of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, and other unnamed notable individuals had received warnings from Apple that they may have been targeted by cyberattacks.

Per the Financial Times, German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said the government in Berlin was “taking the incident and the warning very seriously,” but he did not say who in the federal government had been targeted, including whether German chancellor Friedrich Merz was among them.

Read more…
Source:  TechCrunch News


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Germany says lawmakers’ iPhones may have been hacked with spyware

    November 2, 2026

    The German government is warning politicians and public figures that they were targeted by government-backed spyware, days after Apple began sending out notifications warning victims that their iPhones may have been hacked. Germany’s federal cybersecurity office, known as the BSI, said in a note over the weekend that it had become aware that members of the ...

  • UK and Germany launch joint-partnership to counter sabotage and cyber attacks

    October 8, 2026

    Prime Minister Andy Burnham will travel to Berlin today for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as the UK and Germany work together on technologies and industries that will drive growth in every UK postcode, and build resilience against shared threats. The UK and Germany are Europe’s two largest economies and biggest investors in defence and today ...

  • Operation KillSwitch: Teenager suspected of leading KillSec ransomware group

    October 1, 2026

    On 30 September 2026, law enforcement took control of KillSec’s leak site, securing at least 110 terabytes of data against further unauthorised access. The cybercrime group used the site to threaten organisations with the publication of stolen files unless they paid a ransom. The action was part of Operation KillSwitch, an international investigation led by German ...

  • Ransomware hackers dump 1.4 million stolen records from German government

    September 7, 2026

    A cybercriminal group known as Rhysida allegedly broke into the network of Berlin’s state government and exfiltrated 1.44 million files. They then tried to extort the government entity for money and when that failed, they leaked it all into the dark web. According to multiple sources, the group first claimed responsibility for the attack on an ...

  • Berlin planning ‘protective shield’ to defend against sabotage

    September 6, 2026

    The new plan would see the creation of a “Cyberdome,” a network of digital sensors that would help seek out and intercept hacking attempts. Germany is planning to develop a “protective shield” to combat sabotage attempts following an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport last month, Bild newspaper reported on Sunday. Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s Interior Minister, ...

  • EU-UK sanctions target Russia over Europe-wide ‘vast cyber campaign’

    July 13, 2026

    The European Union and the UK have announced coordinated sanctions against Russia after accusing Moscow’s FSB intelligence agency of carrying out a cyber attack in December targeting Poland’s energy grid and orchestrating a wider campaign of digital sabotage across Europe. The joint measures focus on individuals and organisations linked to Russia’s security services, with the EU ...