The FBI has confirmed testing NSO's controversial Pegasus spyware, noting that the agency had the license to use it as well.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on August 04, 2020, Prince, a member of the hacking group Red Hacker Alliance who refused to give his real name, uses his computer at their office in Dongguan, China's southern Guangdong province. - As the number of online devices surges and super-fast 5G connections roll out, record numbers of companies are offering up to seven-figure rewards to ethical hackers who can successfully attack their cybersecurity systems.
FBI Confirms Testing NSO's Pegasus Spyware
According to a report by The Washington Post, the FBI or the Federal Bureau of Investigation admitted in a statement to the news outlet that it has previously tested the capabilities of the NSO Pegasus spyware.
The Pegasus spyware is powerful enough to secretly infect iPhones and Android mobile devices, wherein it could access tons of private information of the victim, such as their text messages, contacts, cameras, and microphone.
The news outlet further noted in the same news story that NSO, the firm behind the spyware, that its software is only being used by its clients against criminal minds.
However, there have been multiple investigations that look into cases wherein journalists, activists, and human rights lawyers have reportedly been targeted by the spyware.
On top of that, the Post also noted that the developer of the Pegasus spyware has also consistently assured the public that its software could not be used on smartphones in the United States.
However, it turns out the NSO also produced another version of the Pegasus, which is specifically meant to target US phones, that goes by the name Phantom, as per the report by the New York Times.
The media outlet further added in its story that NSO previously presented the features of Phantom to the FBI way back in 2019, showcasing its ability to target US phone numbers.
Pegasus Spyware and FBI Investigations
As per the news story by The Verge, the FBI clarified that it did not use the spyware "in support of any investigation" even if the US agency admitted trying it out on some foreign phone numbers.
This studio photographic illustration shows a smartphone with the website of Israel's NSO Group which features 'Pegasus' spyware, on display in Paris on July 21, 2021. - Private Israeli firm NSO Group has denied media reports its Pegasus software is linked to the mass surveillance of journalists and rights defenders, and insisted that all sales of its technology are approved by Israel's defence ministry
Nevertheless, both the Department of Justice and the FBI reportedly went into a discussion on how to deploy the spyware in the United States.
The two US agencies also talked about the legality of the US variant of Pegasus spyware, the Phantom.
Read Also: Identity Theft Warning: FBI Warns Of Fake Jobs On Networking Sites That Steal Personal Info, Money
NSO Pegasus
The Israel-based firm, the NSO Group, has been under severe scrutiny by various government agencies in the United States. In fact, the company is already blacklisted in the US, preventing it from freely operating with other tech giants in the country.
The iPhone maker, Apple, has previously brought NSO to court for hacking its devices.
Related Article: FBI Urges Athletes, Audiences to Use Temporary Phones For Upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics; Cites Potential Cyberattack
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
