**Apple, Google Send New Round of Cyber Threat Notifications to Users**

The world's most powerful tech giants, Apple and Google, have sounded the alarm once again, sending a new wave of cyber threat notifications to users around the globe. In their latest effort to shield customers from surveillance threats, these companies have joined forces with other tech leaders to warn users when they may be targeted by state-backed hackers.

According to Apple's statement, the warnings were issued on December 2nd, but details about the alleged hacking activity are scarce. The company has refused to disclose the number of users affected or identify the parties responsible for conducting the surveillance. However, Apple claims that "to date we have notified users in over 150 countries in total."

Meanwhile, Google stepped up its own cybersecurity efforts on December 3rd by announcing a warning for all known users targeted using Intellexa spyware. The company revealed that this malicious software had infiltrated "several hundred accounts across various countries," including Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Angola, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan.

Intellexa, the cyber intelligence company responsible for creating the Intellexa spyware, is already under scrutiny from the U.S. government, which has sanctioned the firm. Executives tied to Intellexa have yet to respond to messages seeking comment.

This latest wave of warnings comes on the heels of previous notifications that sparked headlines and investigations by government bodies, including the European Union. The EU's senior officials have previously been targeted using spyware, highlighting the severity of this threat.

According to John Scott-Railton, a researcher with the Canadian digital watchdog group Citizen Lab, these notifications are a crucial step in combating cyber espionage: "Threat notifications impose costs on cyber spies by alerting victims," he explained. "They're also often the first step in a string of investigations and discoveries that can lead to real accountability around spyware abuses."

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