An Ipswich tech firm has urged people to update the security software on Apple devices following a spyware scare.

Lucid Systems, based in Felaw Maltings, encouraged businesses and employees to update their devices following the discovery of a 'zero-click' hack, which could infect a device without interaction from the user.

Last Monday, Apple launched an immediate security patch fix after it was revealed that hackers could remotely install a piece of spyware via an iMessage glitch.

Karl Wilkinson, senior consultant Lucid Systems, said: “This is an exceptional reminder of how important it is to ensure that your computers, laptops, phones, and tablets have the latest software updates installed.

"It can be tempting to forget about them or ignore the reminders as they pop up.

"But if a threat is identified, you need to take practical steps to protect yourself.

“With many of us still working from home, it’s harder for local businesses to make sure that their employees are implementing software updates.

"Simply reminding your employees to update their device to the latest software released by Apple could be enough to prevent your business from being impacted by a cyber-attack.”

Mr Wilkinson said local businesses needed to pay close attention to online security and, where possible, prevent users from accessing work-related information on their personal devices.

“Remote working has enabled us to access confidential business data from anywhere in the world, on almost any device," he added.

"While this is fantastic for flexible working, it does bring up a range of security concerns. In an ideal scenario, businesses should limit access to corporate data from personal devices.

"Instead, firms should supply staff with phones and tablets because there is more control.

"You can set defined parameters and restrict access to certain documents and folders.

"You can ensure that all messages have end-to-end encryption, and you can limit which applications can be downloaded.

"This is crucial, as many hackers are now accessing phones and laptops via third-party apps.

“These days, businesses and individuals have an incredible amount of sensitive data freely available on their phones.

"Therefore, it’s never been more important to ensure that you’re taking steps to protect your device from being compromised by hackers.”