An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: In April, Apple sent notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries, warning them they'd been targeted with spyware. "Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID," the notification reads. Users quickly took to social media sites including X, trying to work out what the notification meant. Many of those targeted were based inIndia, but others in Europe also reported receiving Apple's warning. Weeks later, little is still known about the latest iPhone attacks. Former smartphone giant Blackberry, now a security firm, has released research indicating they are linked to a Chinese spyware campaign dubbed "LightSpy," but Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer says this is inaccurate. While Apple says the latest spyware notifications aren't linked to LightSpy, the spyware remains a growing threat, particularly to people who may be targeted in Southern Asia, according to Blackberry's researchers. Described as a "sophisticated iOS implant," LightSpy first emerged targeting Hong Kong protesters in 2020. However, the latest iteration is much more capable than the first. "It is a fully-featured modular surveillance toolset that primarily focuses on exfiltrating victims' private information, including hyper-specific location data and sound recording during voice over IP calls," the researchers wrote. April's warnings were not the first time Apple has issued notifications of this kind. The iPhone maker has sent out alerts to people in over 150 countries since 2021 as spyware continues to target high-profile figures across the globe. Spyware can be weaponized by nation-state adversaries -- but this is relatively rare and expensive. Its deployment is typically highly targeted against a very specific group of people, including journalists, political dissidents, government workers, and businesses in certain sectors. "Such attacks are vastly more complex than regular cybercriminal activity and consumer malware, as mercenary spyware attackers apply exceptional resources to target a very small number of specific individuals and their devices," Apple wrote in an advisory in April. "Mercenary spyware attacks cost millions of dollars and often have a short shelf life, making them much harder to detect and prevent. The vast majority of users will never be targeted by such attacks." Plus, Apple says its Lockdown Mode feature can successfully protect against attacks. "As we have said before, we are not aware of anyone using Lockdown Mode being successfully attacked with mercenary spyware," Bauer says. Still, for those who are targeted and caught unaware, spyware is extremely dangerous. There are a number of ways to protect yourself against spyware and zero-click exploits in particular: 1. Regularly Update Devices: Keep your devices updated to the latest software to protect against known vulnerabilities. 2. Restart Devices Daily: Regularly restarting your device can help disrupt persistent spyware infections by forcing attackers to reinfect the device, potentially increasing their chances of detection. 3. Disable Vulnerable Features: Consider disabling features prone to exploits, such as iMessage and FaceTime, especially if you suspect you're a target for spyware. 4. Use Multifactor Authentication and Secure Sources: Employ multifactor authentication and only install apps from verified sources to prevent unauthorized access and downloads. 5. Monitor for Indicators: Be vigilant for signs of infection such as battery drain, unexpected shutdowns, and high data usage, though these may not always be present with more sophisticated spyware. 6. Seek Professional Help: If you suspect a spyware infection, consider professional assistance or helplines like Access Now's Digital Security Helpline for guidance on removal. 7. Utilize Advanced Security Features: Activate security features like Apple's Lockdown Mode, which limits device functionality to reduce vulnerabilities, thus safeguarding against infections.

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Once you decide on a decluttering method to clean out your home, the real work begins. Almost every popular technique out there requires you to group your items into three or four categories: Keep, throw, donate, and possibly, sell. Putting each item in its correct pile is not as easy as the step-by-step rules make it seem, but there’s a trick called the five-second rule that you can use to keep the process efficient. 

What is the five-second rule?

The five-second rule is a widely-adaptable technique from organizational coach Mel Robbins, who advocates for it in her books. According to Robbins, you should make major decisions in under five seconds, actually counting down five, four, three, two, one. Your brain will know that at the end of that countdown, it has to make a choice; there’s a sense of urgency to it. This will push you to make quick, efficient decisions. I do this all the time, like when I have to rip off a bandage or open one of those popping cans of biscuits (which really freaks me out). There’s just something about the countdown that amps you up to do the thing you don’t want to do or are deliberating about. 

How does the five-second rule apply in decluttering?

Adapting the five-second rule for decluttering is a big tip that floats around minimalist spaces online. You can use it to spur yourself to start cleaning if you’re feeling overwhelmed, but most often, it’s applied to the moments you spend debating internally about whether or not something should be kept or tossed out. 

The less time you give yourself to make the choice, the better off you’ll be. You can rationalize keeping anything if you give yourself long enough to do it, but the goal of decluttering is to minimize the amount of stuff you have and organize the stuff that’s leftover, not make a bunch of excuses for why you can’t downsize. When you pick something up in the process of decluttering, you usually know instinctively if you really need it. Holding it and considering it for too long doesn’t take away from what you already know to be true so much as it gives you time to come up with reasons the thing should be kept. Commit to sorting everything you touch into a keep or get-rid-of pile as soon as you pick it up and in no more than five seconds, employing the countdown if you have to in a tough moment. 

For anything that really makes you struggle and can’t be so easily sorted in five seconds, follow the Minimalists’ 20/20 rule, asking yourself whether the thing you’re debating keeping could be replaced for under $20 and in under 20 minutes in the unlikely event you ever need it again. If you answer those questions with a yes, throw it out.

Training yourself to be quick and decisive in these instances will help you build the habit of parting with things easily and not assigning false sentimentality or need to items that simply have no business sticking around. 

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Some of the best decluttering techniques work because they set strict timelines. With the “packing party” method, for instance, if you don’t use an item within three weeks of packing it up, it's time to consider parting ways with it. While having concrete time periods to work with can help you if you struggle with deliberating or making excuses about certain potentially useless possessions, these rigid schedules can also be a bit limiting, as they don’t leave room for holding onto those things that you really only use occasionally, but do use. That’s where the 90/90 rule comes in. 

What is the 90/90 rule? 

Like the packing party, this rule comes from the Minimalists, who advocate for a pared-down lifestyle, at least when it comes to physical possessions. With books, documentaries, and a successful blog, they’re leaders in the space, and their tips are almost always solid.

Here, they suggest asking yourself two questions about each item as you seek to declutter: Have you used it in the last 90 days? Will you use it in the next 90 days? If the answers are no, you can feel free to toss it out. 

The Minimalists are a little more lenient with this rule than some of their others, too, giving you space to decide on what an appropriate time period looks like. If you really want to declutter and do it big, stick with 90 or even scoot down to 60, but if it’s not urgent or you feel overwhelmed, bump it up to 120. 

Why the 90/90 rule works

This rule is great if you feel overwhelmed by having to decide what should be thrown out and what should be kept. So often, decluttering is stressful not only because of the strategizing and actual work involved, but because it means you have to part with things you could have sentimental attachment to or be worried about needing to use again in the future. 

This technique works best for those things that do have a use, but not a frequent use, like novelty cooking devices or special-occasion clothing. I recently got rid of a waffle maker I haven’t used in years, but doing so did give me a scary moment of, “But what if I want waffles one day?” If I want waffles, which I almost never do, I can go buy some at a cafe. I haven’t used that waffle maker in 90 days (by which I mean I haven’t used it in hundreds and hundreds of days) and certainly won’t in the next three months, either, so it can go. Give yourself permission to buy a replacement or at least an approximation in the unlikely event you do need the thing again, and then get rid of it. 

Obviously, where this technique really shines is the closet. Clothes you haven’t worn in the last three months and won’t wear in the next three months can be donated, and you almost surely won’t miss them. That six-month span is enough time to account for different seasons, weather, and events, so it gives you a fair, easy guideline for getting rid of what just isn’t necessary.

While the 90/90 rule gives you a little leeway for holding onto things that are used sporadically, it still provides some much-needed structure, which is the key to decluttering in a meaningful way. You need a plan and a set of rules to stick to, which this still provides while being slightly less overbearing than other techniques.