Legitimately Worried That You’re Being Targeted Online? Try Lockdown Mode

ByEmily Dolloff

Most people fall into one of two extremes when it comes to device security. Many believe they’re not interesting enough to be targeted by online attackers and thus don’t take sensible precautions, like making sure every website account is protected with a strong, unique password. (Most attacks these days are bots, so whether you’re interesting is irrelevant.) Then there are those who see a bogeyman around every corner and refuse to use a password manager or biometric authentication because of misplaced concerns about the security of the stored data. (Really, it’s OK.)

Today we want to focus instead on a very small third group: those who, because of who they are or what they do, have a legitimate reason to fear being targeted by sophisticated digital attacks. Such people might include activists trying to raise awareness about human rights abuses in oppressive regimes, political dissidents, muckraking journalists covering organized crime or government corruption, senior executives in controversial business fields, high-profile government officials, and government employees with access to sensitive information.

For such people, using a password manager and relying on biometric authentication is table stakes. Government intelligence and law enforcement agencies often employ hacking software like Pegasus, which can be installed on target iPhones through zero-click exploits such as simply receiving a malicious text message. Pegasus can read text messages, snoop on calls, collect passwords, track location, access the iPhone’s camera and microphone, and harvest information from apps. Plus, both government agencies and organized crime rings employ hackers to target high-profile targets directly, often through social engineering (pretending to be someone they’re not to gain access to an account or device).

Apple is well aware of the risk to high-value individuals. In November 2021, the company filed a lawsuit against Pegasus maker NSO Group. More practically, Apple introduced Lockdown Mode in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura, significantly reducing the attack surface that spyware or hackers could exploit by limiting or blocking specific apps, websites, and features.

Lockdown Mode Limitations

Before we explain how to turn on Lockdown Mode, it’s vital that you understand how it limits your Apple devices:

  • Messages: Most message attachment types are blocked other than certain images, video, and audio. Lockdown Mode also blocks links and link previews.
  • Web browsing: Safari blocks complex Web technologies, potentially causing some websites to load slowly or not operate correctly. It may also block Web fonts and images, so sites may not display as designed.
  • FaceTime: Incoming FaceTime calls are blocked unless you have previously called that person.
  • Apple services: Invitations to Apple services, such as invitations to join the Home app, are blocked unless you have previously invited that person.
  • Shared albums: Shared albums disappear entirely from the Photos app, and shared album invitations are blocked.
  • Device connections: If you want to connect an iPhone or iPad to a computer or accessory, the device must first be unlocked. Similarly, connecting an M-series Mac laptop to an accessory requires explicit approval.
  • Configuration profiles: Lockdown Mode prevents you from installing configuration profiles, and the device can’t be enrolled in Mobile Device Management.

The inconvenience these restrictions create is well worth the protection Lockdown Mode provides if you’re a sufficiently high-value target. But for the vast majority of Apple users, Lockdown Mode’s limitations would just cause confusion and annoyance.

Turning on Lockdown Mode

First, note that you must enable Lockdown Mode on each of your devices separately.

To enable Lockdown Mode on an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode (at the bottom) and tap Turn On Lockdown Mode on two separate screens. For the last step, tap Turn On & Restart, and enter your passcode.

Once your iPhone restarts, it will work mostly the way you expect, apart from the above limitations. You may see notifications when an app has been limited in some way, and a banner appears in Safari to let you know you’re in Lockdown Mode.

On a Mac, turn on Lockdown Mode by going to System Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll down to Lockdown Mode and click Turn On. Authenticate, then click Turn On & Restart.

As with the iPhone and iPad, Lockdown Mode mainly makes its presence known by displaying a banner in Safari; you may also receive notifications when an app or feature is limited.

Allow Certain Apps or Websites in Lockdown Mode

If you discover that a particular app or website isn’t operating correctly in Lockdown Mode, you can exclude it from Lockdown Mode’s protections. You’ll have to decide if it’s worth the added risk. To manage exceptions on the iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode. Then scroll to the bottom, tap Configure Web Browsing, and on the next screen, turn off the switch for the desired app.

To exclude websites from Lockdown Mode, use Safari. Tap the AA button in the address bar, disable the Lockdown Mode switch, and tap Turn Off. The Lockdown banner changes to Lockdown Off to make sure you know that website is no longer being limited for your protection.

On the Mac, you can exclude websites in Safari, but not apps. While on the site you want to exclude, choose Safari > Settings for website.name. In the popover that appears, deselect Enable Lockdown Mode and then click Turn Off when prompted.

To reiterate, almost no one needs to enable Lockdown Mode. But if you qualify as a high-value target, it’s well worth using Lockdown Mode to reduce the chances that powerful forces will be able to compromise your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

(Featured image based on originals by iStock.com/Tero Vesalainen and matias giamportone)

Social Media: High-value targets like activists, journalists, and government employees with access to sensitive information should consider enabling Lockdown Mode on their Apple devices to protect against hacking or spying by sophisticated digital attackers.

Similar Posts

  • Get yourself some Dux

    What is a Dux you ask? Dux is a really great product line from STM and one that we are really excited to begin carrying here at Small Dog. This product line up has cases for your iPad and your computer and for the last week or so I have been testing out the Dux case for Macbook Air.

    My first impression is that it gives my computer a sharp new look. I feel as though my computer is highlighted more in this case. It features a primarily clear case and then a border that comes in an assortment of colors. The one I am using is black and it really looks sharp and sleek on the computer.

    I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of hardshell cases for computers. They do add weight to your computer and they can be hard to put on and take off. However, this case did stand out to me as soon as I saw it and I immediately asked for a sample so that I could test it out. It’s the reinforced border that caught my eye. The plastic is slightly different from that of the clear case and really gives you a feeling of protection for your computer.

    Customers ask me all the time why someone might want a hard shell case, it’s a combination of accessorizing and protection. Hard shell cases are great for those who might like to sticker their computers. You can sticker all you want on a removable case and not damage your computer. For people who bring their computers everywhere it’s a great way to protect them from the dings and scratches that can happen just by pulling your computer in and out, especially those whom might fly a lot. One piece of advice I will give users of hardshell cases is that you still need to remove them! The idea and concept of hard shell cases is to provide added protection to your computer, to keep it looking like new under the case. However, if you don’t remove the case from time to time and clean the case and computer from dust and debris your computer will still get scratches. I have seen countless computers get just as scratched up with these kinds of cases than those without and the cause is always the same: dirt build up. This particular case comes on and off much easier than some others on the market making my recommended occasional cleanings much easier to perform. After all you’ve probably purchased a hard shell case to keep your computer looking new.

    Overall I am very happy with this case, but the biggest test is yet to come. I am flying to Arizona next week for an event with one of our vendors, and I’ll be keeping this case on my computer for my travels. The real test will be if I notice the added weight while making my way through airports, so far I haven’t really noticed the increased weight in my daily travels.

    P.S. Hadley, even if it means burpees and laps in an airport terminal I plan to maintain my lead in our competition. It’s ON!

  • B.B. King – The King of the Blues

    For more than half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Since he started recording in the 1940s, he has released over fifty albums, many of them classics. He was born September 16, 1925, on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, near Indianola. In his youth, he played on street corners for dimes, and would sometimes play in as many as four towns a night. In 1947, he hitchhiked to Memphis, TN to pursue his music career. Memphis was where every important musician of The South gravitated, and it supported a large musical community where every style of African American music could be found. B.B. stayed with his cousin Bukka White, one of the most celebrated blues performers of his time, who schooled B.B. further in the art of the blues.

    B.B.’s first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. This led to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis, and later to a ten-minute spot on black-staffed and managed Memphis radio station WDIA. “King’s Spot,” became so popular, it was expanded and became the “Sepia Swing Club.” Soon B.B. needed a catchy radio name. What started out as Beale Street Blues Boy was shortened to Blues Boy King, and eventually B.B. King.

    In the mid-1950s, while B.B. was performing at a dance in Twist, Arkansas, a few fans became unruly. Two men got into a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove, setting fire to the hall. B.B. raced outdoors to safety with everyone else, then realized that he left his beloved $30 acoustic guitar inside, so he rushed back inside the burning building to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death. When he later found out that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille, he decided to give the name to his guitar to remind him never to do a crazy thing like fight over a woman. Ever since, each one of B.B.’s trademark Gibson guitars has been called Lucille.

    B.B. was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He received NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1987, and has received honorary doctorates from Tougaloo(MS) College in 1973; Yale University in 1977; Berklee College of Music in 1982; Rhodes College of Memphis in 1990; Mississippi Valley State University in 2002 and Brown University in 2007. In 1992, he received the National Award of Distinction from the University of Mississippi.

    B.B. King came to Vermont many times and I had the pleasure of being at several of his concerts. He died last year at the age of 90 and was performing to sold out crowds right up until he died. B.B. King is gone but the –The Thrill is Gone- lives forever.