Update your iPhone immediately to protect yourself against spyware

Run and update your iPhone or iPad or iPod touch NOW.
 By 
Raymond Wong
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You can never have too much security.

Apple released iOS 9.3.5 with yet another "important security update for your iPhone or iPad" on Thursday. The update is available for iPhone 4S and later and iPad 2 and later and iPod touch (fifth-generation) and later.

The update is the second security patch pushed out in August. iOS 9.3.4 was released earlier this month.


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According to Apple's security update page detailing changes in iOS 9.3.5, the update mainly closes up a few security holes that could be exploited by nefarious hackers and prevents them from running "arbitrary code with kernel privileges."

Sounds like the rudimentary update, but a report from The New York Times says the update patches up a serious vulnerability that a company called the NSO Group has been using to secretly track a user's data.

Data like text messages, emails, calls and contacts, audio and passwords are all at risk unless you update to iOS 9.3.5.

Apple got to work on iOS 9.3.5 after two researchers discovered the exploits 10 days ago.

"The company sells only to authorized governmental agencies, and fully complies with strict export control laws and regulations," Zamir Dahbash, an NSO Grop spokesperson, told the Times. The invisible spyware is crafted to target dissidents and journalists in places like United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Kenya, Mozambique, Yemen and Turkey.

If you're not on the latest version of iOS, now's the time to update it.

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Raymond Wong

Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.

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