For those not familiar with Pegasus, it was discovered in 2016 after researchers at the University of Toronto’s internet watchdog Citizen Lab and Lookout Security investigated suspicious text messages sent to an Emirati human rights activist.
https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1416797153524174854
Pegasus targets victims via a text message link process known as the 1-click variant. The link automatically downloads the software onto the phone, allowing it to harvest the data from, and control, virtually every function of the device: calls, location, email, camera, apps.
Pegasus was the first known piece of software capable of “jailbreaking” the iPhone in an entirely remote fashion. Pegasus circumvents the mobile provider and internet service provider, which traditionally must give permission to security services to snoop on their customers.
In November 2016, Reuters reported that the company’s annual earnings stood at about $75 million. Since acquiring NSO for $120 million in 2014, the American private equity firm Francisco Partners Management reportedly shopped the company around, seeking a $1 billion sale.
In Feb 2019 Israeli cyber surveillance firm NSO Group acquired the company from U.S. private equity firm Francisco Partners with the support of European private equity firm Novalpina Capital.
Francisco Partners’ stake of more than 65 percent was based on a company valuation of about $1 billion. NSO Management and employees already own the rest of NSO, so the buyout made sense when talking about consolidation, centralization, and reacquisition.
A Saudi dissident close to the murdered Jamal Khashoggi filed a lawsuit in December 2018 charging that NSO helped the royal court take over his smartphone and spy on his communications with Khashoggi.
Links to further reading on NSO & Pegasus 👇👇
mintpressnews.com/israels-nso-gr…
mintpressnews.com/israels-nso-gr…
Israel’s cyber security industry is a direct outgrowth of the country’s status as a security state. The IDF’s Unit 8200, which intercepts communications and penetrates the security systems of Israel’s Arab enemies, is the largest single unit in the Israeli army.
On 11 September 2013, The Guardian released a leaked document provided by Edward Snowden which reveals how Unit 8200, referred to as ISNU, receives raw, unfiltered data of U.S. citizens, as part of a secret agreement with the U.S. National Security Agency:
mintpressnews.com/wp-content/upl…
mintpressnews.com/wp-content/upl…
This is yet another layer to the international surveillance network under which we all live. Never forget, there is no right to privacy as soon as you use the internet. They did away with that years ago.
But what will be most interesting about all of this (for me) will be the journo's on this list. Will they come out against the authoritarianism so many now back within the U.S. and other nations? They praise the FBI spying on regular citizens, & tech censorship.
Will those members of CNN and the other legacy trash houses that constantly praise the emerging police state all of a sudden think this type of spying is horrible? Or is this how many are blackmailed and controlled, a program like this keeps them in line with the narrative?
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