Pegasus

Pegasus (spyware), spyware developed by Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group (founded in 2010) for eavesdropping on mobile phones and harvesting their data. The spyware has been highly controversial, used to track politicians, government leaders, human rights activists, dissidents, and journalists. NSO Group claims its product is sold exclusively to government security and law enforcement agencies and only for the purpose of aiding rescue operations and battling criminals, such as money launderers, sex- and drug-traffickers, and terrorists.

The spyware works on most Android, iOS (Apple), BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Symbian operating systems, and it can be installed covertly without any action by the device owner. Once installed on a phone, the spyware leaves no obvious trace of its existence. The spyware can monitor calls, capture text messages, track a user’s location, and collect passwords, photos, and other data. Authoritarian and democratic governments have deployed Pegasus, harvesting information through their target’s camera, microphone, and various apps.

Pegasus is not only controversial but very expensive. According to The New York Times, in 2016 the cost was upwards of $650,000, plus a $500,000 set-up fee, to install Pegasus on 10 phones.