Hamish White, CEO at telecom software provider Mobilise, explains how eSIMs are rising from Skype’s ashes.

As one communication era fades, another begins. The rise of embedded SIM (eSIM) technology marks the next wave in connectivity, removing infrastructure barriers and enabling seamless, borderless communication. Here, 

If you grew up in the 90s, calling loved ones abroad could cost more than dinner. A quick check-in was a costly affair. But everything changed in 2003 with the launch of Skype.

Using only an internet connection, Skype offered a free alternative to expensive calls, democratising international voice communication and bringing together family, friends and colleagues. By 2010, 13 per cent of the world’s international calls were made over Skype, and the phrase “Skype me” was as ubiquitous as “Google it.”

However, even giants can fall. When Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011, it had approximately 150 million monthly active users. But misaligned updates and Microsoft’s growth of its Teams unified comms platform — along with the rise of Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic — led to a steady decline in Skype’s user base, and ultimately, its sunset.

While Skype’s decline reminds us that even the most successful platforms can falter, its departure opens the door for the next generation of global communication technology.

An Infrastructure-Free Future

Skype reinvented international communication by removing the cost barriers of traditional calling. eSIM technology takes this a step further by eliminating the infrastructure barriers that have historically tied users to specific networks and regions.

Instead of relying on physical SIM cards, an eSIM chip is embedded directly into a device, allowing users to switch seamlessly between networks without swapping cards.

This capability offers significant value across user groups. For frequent travellers, eSIMs simplify the process of connecting to local networks. Users can download a data plan directly to their device, enjoying reliable, affordable connectivity without hefty roaming fees. That means no more wasting valuable travel time searching for SIM cards or navigating confusing kiosks.

For global businesses, eSIMs simplify mobile connectivity across regions. Companies can offer employees seamless access without the logistical headache of juggling multiple SIMs or carrier contracts. This flexibility is crucial for organisations that depend on mobile communication and remote work, enabling smoother, more efficient global operations.

Just as Skype once made it easier to stay in touch across borders, eSIM technology is now expanding that freedom — giving individuals more control over how and where they connect. The infrastructure powering this experience may not be immediately visible, but it’s what makes seamless global communication possible.

Powering Global Connectivity

As a telecom software provider, Mobilise enables Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), and digital brands to offer eSIM services without owning or managing traditional telecom infrastructure.

Built on its HERO= platform, Mobilise’s White Label eSIM and V-eSIM apps builds on what Skype began: enabling communication beyond traditional phone lines. But instead of a single platform continuing Skype’s legacy in a broader, infrastructure-free form.

Although Skype’s era has ended, its legacy of breaking down communication barriers lives on through the evolution of eSIM technology. eSIM represents the future — offering flexibility for both businesses and consumers. By simplifying communication and improving global access, eSIM helps ensure staying connected remains seamless in a mobile-first world.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/analysis-skype-esims-one-door-closes-another-opens-global-connectivity/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/telecoms-security-act-compliance-challenges-service-providers/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/telecoms-security-act-compliance-challenges-service-providers/#respond Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:43:13 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/telecoms-security-act-compliance-challenges-service-providers/ By Islam Rashad UK telecom providers are undergoing a transformative digital revolution. The rollout of 5G, fibre broadband networks, and IoT, coupled with the introduction of AI, is driving innovation, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing customer experiences. These advancements are reshaping telecom operators into Digital Service Providers positioning them as essential enablers of the UK’s

By Islam Rashad

UK telecom providers are undergoing a transformative digital revolution. The rollout of 5G, fibre broadband networks, and IoT, coupled with the introduction of AI, is driving innovation, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing customer experiences. These advancements are reshaping telecom operators into Digital Service Providers positioning them as essential enablers of the UK’s digital economy.

However, this rapid transformation comes with significant challenges. The expanded digital landscape introduces new vulnerabilities, from an extended supply chain to increasingly complex networks and private cloud technologies. Telecom operators must defend against an ever-evolving array of cyber threats, including well-funded advanced persistent threat groups and nation-state-sponsored attackers.

Cyberattacks on telecom providers can disrupt public services, impact national operations, and paralyse daily life. Recognising these risks, the National Cyber Security Centre introduced the Telecoms Security Act . This legally binding framework, an amendment to the Communications Act 2003, requires telecom providers to implement robust security measures to safeguard their 5G workloads and core broadband networks.

TSA Framework: Compliance Roadmap

The TSA mandates 21 compliance control packages, to be phased in by March 2028. These measures aim to bolster security and resilience across public electronic communication networks and services (PECN).

The Code of Practice offers detailed guidance on meeting these new security obligations. It aligns with the legal framework established under sections 105A to 105D of the Communications Act 2003, which was updated by the TSA in 2021.

In March 2024, Ofcom began auditing Tier 1 providers’ compliance annually under Section 135 of the Communications Act. As Tier 1 providers progress, attention is now shifting to Tier 2 providers, who must achieve their initial compliance milestones by March 2025.

Complexity of Compliance

The TSA’s Code of Practice provides valuable insights into meeting compliance requirements. However, its extensive and complex control measures pose challenges for telecom providers. Achieving compliance requires more than a checklist approach—it demands a collaborative effort across technical and procurement teams, supported by a governance framework. This includes creating a clear roadmap to achieve phased compliance over the coming years.

Challenges in Compliance

Meeting TSA compliance requires substantial investment in resources, expertise, and modern technology. Providers must navigate multiple projects and interdependencies across systems, stakeholders, and business units.

Key challenges include:

Infrastructure Upgrades

Modernising and hardening existing systems.

Financial Strain

Particularly for Tier 2 providers, who face economic pressures.

Operational Disruptions

Integrating new security measures may cause downtime.

Regulatory Adaptation

Staying compliant with evolving regulations diverts focus from core business activities.

The sector’s high level of mergers and acquisitions adds complexity, requiring providers to manage compliance during organizational changes.

Implementation

Implementing TSA requirements involves introducing advanced cybersecurity measures like real-time threat detection and machine learning-powered analytics. Providers must integrate these technologies into existing systems, plan deployments, and conduct rigorous testing.

Hurdles

Legacy Systems

Many providers rely on outdated infrastructure, which carries technical debt and risks. Replacing these systems is time-intensive and costly.

Human Expertise

Skilled cybersecurity professionals are essential for proactive threat hunting and enhancing automated detections.

Overcoming Compliance Barriers

To succeed, providers must define compliance boundaries, establish governance frameworks, and align business strategies with technical priorities. Developing an actionable roadmap enables providers to address dependencies and streamline projects efficiently.

Despite these challenges, Tier 2 telecom providers remain committed to achieving TSA compliance by March 2025. Many are working tirelessly, dedicating resources, and implementing proportionate technical and operational measures to meet regulatory standards.

By fostering collaboration across business units and embracing innovative security solutions, telecom providers can navigate the compliance journey and strengthen the UK’s digital ecosystem.

Islam Rashad, is Head of Cyber Security Solutions Engineering, at WWT

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Apple’s adoption of RCS is undoubtedly a significant milestone for digital communication. With interactive and secure messaging, RCS enhances customer experience and trust. Brands will be able to engage more effectively with rich content and real-time interactions on a more trustworthy channel.

As Apple integrates RCS, businesses have a prime opportunity to connect with a global audience, driving stronger customer relationships and higher engagement.

Google has backed RCS for a number of years, and Apple’s support with iOS 18 is a game changer for the digital communication market. Apple’s 1.4 billion users will become part of the RCS ecosystem, joining 1.5 billion RCS-enabled Android users. This is an exciting opportunity for brands that want to reach valuable customers across the globe, especially in affluent markets where Apple is widely used.

Interactive experience

RCS shifts the traditional boundaries of messaging by immersing users in a new level of interactive experience. SMS was created for basic text notifications. Although very successful, it has limitations for modern marketing needs. MMS introduced multimedia capabilities but didn’t achieve widespread adoption. RCS has been developed to offer a more feature-rich and interactive communication platform that meets contemporary business and user expectations.

SMS is limited to 160 characters and lacks the ability to include rich content or track message reads. RCS, however, supports video and images, read receipts, real-time reply indicators, branding, and verified senders. It also enables the inclusion of interactive elements like call-to-actions and carousels, providing a more engaging messaging experience.

RCS has only been available on Android handsets, meaning it could never reach global ubiquity. Apple’s upcoming adoption will eventually lead to RCS being supported on every handset globally, making the technology available via the native messaging app on both iOS and Android. Users will not need to download a specific app; it will be available by default as soon as the mobile operator activates it in their network.

This is good news for brands that prioritise user experience for these billions of customers. Data suggests there is a 74 percent higher engagement with brands through RCS compared to SMS, the biggest business messaging channel currently.

Any SMS opt-ins a brand has will be valid for RCS as well, so businesses will not need to get users to opt-in again. Apple has not explicitly announced adoption of RCS business messaging (as opposed to RCS for consumer-to-consumer communication), but it is available in the iOS 18 beta version and should happen. Brands should be ready to use this opportunity for their benefit.

Apple’s adoption of RCS has consumer benefits regardless of which device is used. RCS enables a richer user experience, preventing group chats from breaking between iPhone and Android users and enabling the sending of high-quality images.

Business benefits include read receipts, which are useful for brands to know which messages have been read. By being conversational by nature, RCS enables easy, two-way conversations between brands and consumers, opening up new interactive use cases.

So, how exactly does RCS boost customer experience?  A shopper looking for a new outfit online. Instead of receiving a one-way message reminding them about the blouse left in their cart. Online buyers could benefit from a carousel illustrating how that blouse pairs perfectly with the jeans they previously purchased.

This level of personalization and immediacy builds customer loyalty, as shoppers feel more valued by the brand. Over time, these interactions contribute to a stronger brand reputation and open up new growth opportunities for retailers.

Recent data underscores the effectiveness of conversational messaging, revealing that 71% of UK buyers welcome the option to message retailers about their orders. By adopting RCS, retailers can meet these expectations, providing instant responses that foster trust and drive purchase decisions. In the competitive retail sector, leveraging RCS to facilitate immediate and meaningful conversations can be a game-changer, setting brands apart and propelling them towards sustained success.

In the case of Sinch customer French gourmet frozen food brand Picard,  RCS highlighted a significant boost in customer engagement. Adopting RCS, resulting in a 42 per cent increase in customer engagement attributed to the rich, interactive features of RCS that allowed Picard to offer a more immersive and responsive customer experience.

With real-time interactions and multimedia capabilities, customers found the messaging experience more engaging and informative, contributing to higher satisfaction and brand loyalty.

 Enhanced Security

Adopting RCS is also crucial for ensuring consumers that messages come from the brand they seem to be coming from, thereby reducing the scope of phishing and spam. Brands using verified RCS messaging gain a competitive edge, as 77% of users prefer verified messaging over regular SMS, and 71% feel more confident about businesses using it.

The mobile operators’ robust RCS sender verification processes make it ideal for businesses aiming to enhance customer relationships. With RCS, businesses can align with the evolving landscape of rich messaging while establishing the trustworthiness of their brand. By leveraging RCS, they can not only improve communication but also build customer confidence and loyalty through verified, secure interactions.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/apples-adoption-rcs-will-game-changer-digital-communication/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/analysis-next-government-needs-tighten-e-waste-disposal/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/analysis/article/analysis-next-government-needs-tighten-e-waste-disposal/#respond Mon, 01 Jul 2024 15:31:19 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/analysis-next-government-needs-tighten-e-waste-disposal/ Drastic action needs to be taken to encourage businesses to repair devices rather than replacing them to help boost the UK economy writes Adam Whitehouse founder of TMT First, the Staffordshire provider of technology lifecycle services. Whoever is in power needs to encourage people to get devices repaired – they need to make it easier

Drastic action needs to be taken to encourage businesses to repair devices rather than replacing them to help boost the UK economy writes Adam Whitehouse founder of TMT First, the Staffordshire provider of technology lifecycle services.

Whoever is in power needs to encourage people to get devices repaired – they need to make it easier by introducing sustainable incentives such as removing VAT from refurbished tech or adopting proven schemes like those seen in Europe to incentivise repairs.

It will be virtually impossible for companies to meet the current Government’s targets of becoming net zero by 2050 if steps aren’t taken to encourage business owners to recycle and repair, rather than just replace. With the mountain of electrical waste* predicted to grow to 74 million tonnes a year by 2030 whoever is in power after the General Election needs to:

• Scrap or reduce VAT on technology repairs.

• Introduce a UK repair voucher scheme, to promote sustainable consumption like those seen in other areas of Europe to incentivise people to get their broken electronic devices repaired, rather than, just discarding them and replacing with new.

• Bring in targets so that when businesses aquire tech, at least 10 percent of purchases per year have to be refurbished or repaired devices.

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream worldwide. According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste was generated in 2019, with only a portion being recycled properly.

The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 states that a record 62 million metric tons of e-waste were generated globally in 2022, that would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator, and only 22.3 per cent of this e-waste was formally collected and recycled.

This gap between e-waste generation and recycling is expected to widen

This gap between e-waste generation and recycling is expected to widen, with projections indicating that by 2030, e-waste could reach 82 million metric tons, while the documented recycling rate could drop to 20%.

Electronic items, like mobiles, laptops and tablets that could be fixed, too often get thrown away, instead contributing to pollution and increasing the global demand for components including rare earth elements, which when mined can damage local environments.

I want to see incentivising measures introduced to actively encourage consumers and businesses to repair tech or buy refurbished as an alternative to always replacing with new.

Austria for example introduced their support program ‘Repair Bonus,’ which provides vouchers that cover 50 per cent of the costs for repairing home electrical and electronic equipment up to a value of €200. The aim is to give broken electronic devices a ‘second chance,’ increasing the number of refurbished and repaired electrical and electronic equipment.

Back in 2022 the Waste and Electrical Equipment Forum estimated that 5.3 billion mobiles phones would be thrown away – that figure will have only increased. Today the world’s largest device manufacturers including Samsung and Apple provide operating systems and security updates for up to seven years – so there’s no need for these mobile devices to have been thrown away – they can be repaired and repurposed which is far more sustainable.

We are a business that specialises in extending the life of digital devices, but this is much bigger than the part we can play – the climate crisis is real, and we must collectively take action.

People are also more aware of e-waste and the carbon generated during the manufacture of smartphones, tablets or laptops. 

Buying a refurbished device, repairing it or sending it to be recycled when it finally is beyond repair is vital in today’s drive to respect the planet and adopt a more sustainable approach in business. It’s time to give e-waste the attention it needs when we’re looking at future polices and whoever wins at the General Election needs to make a stand.

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Smart Nano was formed to further the development of smart manufacturing in Northern Ireland and is led by consortium partner Digital Catapult.

The 5G testbed is intended to boost economic growth and investment in Northern Ireland. It will provide expert technical support to local start-ups and businesses through the Digital Catapult Smart Nano Accelerator Programme. The 5G and 4G private networks will provide access to the latest network technologies including 5G and NarrowBand-Internet of Things (NB-IoT),

William Revels, Managing Director at Digital Catapult Northern Ireland, said, “ Derry-Londonderry will be the ninth 5G testbed in Digital Catapult’s nationwide network and we’ve seen the opportunities that can be opened up from providing the equipment and in turn de-risking innovation.”

The smart education site is located in the Northwest Regional College’s Springtown Campus and will give students and industry access to explore new use cases of the 5G private network. The manufacturing site at Seagate’s manufacturing facility will give businesses the opportunity to test the technology in a live manufacturing setting.

Digital Catapult has also launched a Smart Nano Accelerator Programme, giving businesses access to the 5G testbed for the first time. The Manufacturing Innovation Challenge is inviting innovative Northern Ireland start-ups and SMEs to submit ideas for new technology to solve manufacturing challenges.

Participating Northern Ireland-based companies can compete for a £75,000 grant from Techstart Ventures to continue to develop their business idea. This is funded by Techstart’s Proof of Concept Grant Fund which supports entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland to explore innovative concepts.

Jason Wiggins, Programme Manager for Smart Nano NI, said: “The combined investment in infrastructure, the Smart Nano Accelerator programme and the Techstart competition will deliver new business resources to Northern Ireland and will drive growth and innovation across many sectors”.

The Manufacturing Innovation Challenge will take place from Jan 2024 to March 2024, with applications closing on 15th November 2023. Businesses who are interested in participating can apply online here.

The scammers sold car service contracts claiming they were warranties and were named Sumco Panama, Virtual Telecom, Davis Telecom, Geist Telecom, Fugle Telecom, Tech Direct, Mobi Telecom, and Posting Express. They worked from a database of 500 million phone numbers.

Two of the central players of the operation, Roy M. Cox and Aaron Michael Jones, were already under lifetime bans against making telemarketing calls following lawsuits by the Federal Trade Commission and the State of Texas.

The FCC says the men and the companies named violated federal statutes and FCC regulations when they ran a scheme to make more than five billion robocalls to more than 500 million phone numbers during a three-month span in 2021. This violated federal spoofing laws by using more than one million different caller ID numbers in an attempt to disguise the origin of the robocalls and trick victims into answering the phone.

When people answered the calls they heard a pre-recorded message. The offences were making calls to mobile phones without prior express consent, placing telemarketing calls without written consent, dialling numbers included on the National Do Not Call Registry, failing to identify the caller at the start of the message, and failing to provide a call-back number that allowed consumers to opt out of future calls. The calls also violated spoofing laws by using misleading caller ID to disguise the enterprise’s role and prompt consumers to answer.

“We take seriously our responsibility to protect consumers”

“We take seriously our responsibility to protect consumers and the integrity of U.S. communications networks from the onslaught of these types of pernicious calls,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal.

“I want to thank the Enforcement Bureau’s Telecommunications Consumers Division for its groundbreaking work on this case, and we will continue to work with our federal and state partners to hold these entities and others engaged in similar conduct accountable.”

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/scammers-fined-300-million-five-million-robocalls-calls-mobile-numbers/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/android-platform-swamped-spyware-apps-say-cybersercurity-experts/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/android-platform-swamped-spyware-apps-say-cybersercurity-experts/#respond Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:01:33 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/android-platform-swamped-spyware-apps-say-cybersercurity-experts/ The Android platform is now riddled with scam apps that can hijack user’s personal data. Cybersecurity experts ESET says there has been an 88 per cent increase in the number of SpyLoan loan apps that can steal sensitive information from infected Android devices This has led to a 19 per cent overall growth in the

The Android platform is now riddled with scam apps that can hijack user’s personal data.

Cybersecurity experts ESET says there has been an 88 per cent increase in the number of SpyLoan loan apps that can steal sensitive information from infected Android devices

This has led to a 19 per cent overall growth in the Android Spyware category and a 20 per cent increase in Android threat detections.

Deceptive Android loan apps such as SpyLoan masquerade as legitimate personal loan services, promising users quick and easy access to funds.

However, they are designed to defraud users and gain their personal and financial information. It doesn’t matter whether a person applies for or even receives a loan. The app’s enforcers will harass and blackmail their victims regardless says ESET.

The apps are pushed through social media and SMS messages offering personal loans. They are also available on official app stores such as Google Play.

ESET says Android s being “ swamped” by scams such as Adware, HiddenApps, and Clickers, which now account for over two-thirds of all Android detections.

ESET’s H1 Threat Intelligence Report says Android is firmly in the crosshairs of the cybercriminal community right now.

“ Android is the most popular operating system worldwide by quite some distance, with over seven-in-ten mobile devices now running on it. This makes any threat that targets the operating system extremely deep-reaching,” said ESAT security advisor Jake Moore.

“Fraudulent loan apps such as SpyLoan are the lowest of the low. Individuals seeking quick financial assistance during the cost-of-living crisis are met with death threats and digital usury practices,” comments Moore.

“ It is crucial to ensure that any apps are downloaded only from official app stores, check reviews before installation, and have an active digital security app in place,” adds Technical Pre-Sales Engineer, Raj Kapoor, ESET.

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Profit-driven hacking groups are behind a 500 per cent in botnet-driven denial of service attacks against networks in the last year according to Nokia;s Threat Intelligence team.

The attacks were made through a million insecure IoT devices inclding iunsecured smart refrigerators and medical sensors, and were intended to disrupt telecom networks, said Nokia.

Bot malware scans billions of IoT devices worldwide for vulnerable IoT devices including smart refrigerators and medical sensors which may lack adequate security measures.

The initial surge occurring when the Russia-Ukraine conflict started and the trend has now spread globally to various critical infrastructure sectors said Nokia.

The number of IoT devices involved in these attacks is believed to have has risen from 200,000 to approximately 1 million although Nokias findings based on data collected from over 200 million devices worldwide that use Nokia’s NetGuard Endpoint Security product which monitors consumer, enterprise, and critical infrastructure network traffic for malware and attack activity.

The hacking was discovered by various Nokia centres specialising in threat intelligence and cybersecurity.

The Nokia report r the number of trojans (malicious software that masquerades as safe applications) targeting personal banking information on mobile devices has doubled, putting millions of users at risk of financial and credit card information theft. 

Fortunately, malware infections in home networks have decreased from the peak of three per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic to 1.5 per cent, and are nearly back to the the pre-pandemic level of once per cent. Nokia says this decline is due to a decrease in malware campaigns targeting remote workers as more people returned to their offices.

Nokia senior vice president Hamdy Farid emphasised the need for stronger security measures in 5G networks. This includes implementing threat detection and response systems specific to telecom providers, as well as promoting robust security practices and awareness across all levels of organizations involved in the industry.

The device resembles a scuba dive mask and uses passthrough video to blend digital content with the real world to produce a floating a 3D image of applications and content that can be manipulated using eye movements. The tech is so advanced that Apple has filed 5,000 patents to cover its intellectual property.

Vision Pro incorporates a computerised system of cameras, projection lenses and real-time sensors that lets users experience immersive environments that can be manipulated by finger and eye movements. A micro OLED mask combines 23 million pixels across two postage-stamp size panels.

Spectacles wearers will be able to purchase glass inserts to fit their prescription,

Vision Pro is described as the most ambitious product Apple has ever produced, Control of the device and images is achieved through a combination of eye movements, hand gestures, and voice commands. Eye tracking enables navigation, while finger tapping and flicking does scrolling and selection.

An Apple M2 chip and new R1 chip processes input from 12 cameras eight times faster than the blink of an eye. Machine learning uses a neural network to produce a digital avatar of the wearer so they can appear to others in video calls as though they are not wearing the device.

Apple says developers can now produce entirely new immersive versions of their apps using existing iOS development tools. Vision Pro will have an app store of its own.

Leo Gebbie, Principal Analyst, Connected Devices, CCS Insight said the Vision Pro headset is Apple’s boldest new product in years,

: It sees the company enter a brand new market, where other companies have struggled to transform futuristic concepts into reality, and offer an exciting and innovative product. Apple has already claimed that the Vision Pro is “the most advanced personal electronics device ever’ and will now have to work hard to back up the statement.

“Apple’s headset challenges the established status quo in terms of both hardware and software and sets out a radical new agenda for the segment. We expect that the Vision Pro will transform the spatial computing segment, thanks to some of Apple’s design decisions and its innovative visionOS. Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) have been through a period of intense scrutiny and scepticism in recent times but if one company has the star power to revive the segment, it’s Apple.

“The Vision Pro has a luxurious build, and its 3D-formed laminated glass and aluminium chassis is certainly eye-catching. Apple has brought its traditional strengths in optimisation across both hardware and software to build a device and an ecosystem which appears to deliver a transformative user experience.

“The real question is what comes next. The Vision Pro is some way away from being a mass market offering given its price tag, clearing the way for some rivals for now. However, Apple stepping into spatial computing is an exciting vote of confidence for the category, and we expect to see more from the company in coming years.

“Apple’s advantage over rivals is that the operating system on the new headset will be immediately familiar to existing users, and much of their favourite content, services and apps are all instantly available. It’s a logical extension to everything Apple has built over the last decade. So far it looks like the Vision Pro is able to offer an impressive experience that will put Apple in a position to shape the future direction of spatial computing”

Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight added: “Make no mistake, this is a wow moment for the company and the consumer electronics industry. Today marks Apple’s biggest device launch in a while ) that will change the way we interact and engage with content forever. This is the start of a long journey. Apple has grand plans to revolutionise this segment as it has done with the iPhone; remember this is its first foray.

“The hardware, services and experiences will evolve considerably over time to include other devices.. Apple’s focus around deftly blending the digital and real world brings a new category into the XR mix. Spatial computing, as Apple positions it, brings with it the start of a whole new platform. This provides a much-needed boost and is expected to reignite interest in the market. If anyone can kickstart demand for this segment, then Apple can”.

The FSB, which is the successor to the KGB, claims several thousand iPhones in use by diplomats and people the NSA want to monitor have been infected:

“The company (Apple) provides American intelligence services with a wide range of opportunities to control both any persons of interest to the White House, including their partners in anti-Russian activities, and their own citizens.

“There is infection of foreign numbers and subscribers SIM cards registered at diplomatic missions and embassies in Russia, including the countries of the NATO bloc and the post-Soviet space, as well as Israel, SAR and China’ claims the FSB.

“Information received by the Russian intelligence services testifies to the close cooperation of the American company Apple with the national intelligence community, in particular the U.S. NSA, and confirms that the declared policy of ensuring the confidentiality of personal data of users of Apple devices is not true”.

Apple denies the claims saying “it has “never worked with any government to insert a backdoor into any Apple product and never will.”

It is likely the information to the Russian intelligence agency about the alleged attacks came from cyber security company Kaspersky Labs in Moscow.

CEO Eugene Kaspersk said the company had discovered a complex, professionally-targeted cyberattack that uses iPhones.

“The purpose of this attack is the inconspicuous introduction of spyware into the iPhones of employees of the company – both top and middle-management” he said.

“The attack is carried out using an invisible iMessage with a malicious attachment, which, using a number of vulnerabilities in the iOS operating system, is executed on the device and installs spyware.

“The deployment of the spyware is completely hidden and requires no action from the user. Further, the spyware also quietly transmits private information to remote servers: microphone recordings, photos from instant messengers, geolocation and data about a number of other activities of the owner of the infected device.

Kaspersky experts Igor Kuznetsov, Valentin Pashkov Leonid Bezvershenko and George Kucherin discovered the cyber attack. Their report states:

“The attack is carried out as discreetly as possible, however, the fact of infection was detected by Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform, a native solution for information and event management. The system detected an anomaly in our network coming from Apple devices. Further investigation from our team showed that several dozen iPhones of our employees were infected with a new, extremely technologically sophisticated spyware we dubbed ‘Triangulation’

“While monitoring the network traffic of our own corporate Wi-Fi network dedicated for mobile devices using the Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform (KUMA), we noticed suspicious activity that originated from several iOS-based phones. Since it is impossible to inspect modern iOS devices from the inside, we created offline backups of the devices in question, inspected them using the Mobile Verification Toolkit’s mvt-ios and discovered traces of compromise. We are calling this campaign “Operation Triangulation”, and all the related information we have on it will be collected on the Operation Triangulation page.”

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