The murky world of cyber surveillance has once again been thrust into the spotlight as Amnesty International uncovered an attempt to hack two Serbian journalists using Pegasus, the notorious spyware developed by Israeli firm NSO Group. The revelation has intensified global scrutiny of the spyware’s misuse against journalists, activists, and dissidents.
A High-Tech Attack on Press Freedom
The two targeted journalists, affiliated with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), received deceptive messages containing malicious links, a classic phishing ploy aimed at infiltrating their devices. Amnesty International’s cybersecurity researchers, after safely analyzing the link, confirmed its connection to Pegasus infrastructure.
Pegasus, designed to infiltrate smartphones stealthily, grants its operators unfettered access to calls, messages, and encrypted communications. The spyware has been at the center of numerous scandals, with governments worldwide allegedly using it to suppress dissent and monitor critics.
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NSO Group’s Fading Cloak of Secrecy
While Pegasus was once considered an untraceable tool for covert surveillance, investigative teams from Amnesty International, Citizen Lab, and Access Now have honed their ability to detect its digital fingerprints. Security researchers note that NSO Group’s operational security flaws make it increasingly difficult for the spyware to remain hidden.
Since Citizen Lab’s first forensic analysis in 2016, which exposed Pegasus being used against a UAE dissident, over 130 confirmed cases of spyware attacks have surfaced globally. Many of these revelations stem from the Pegasus Project, a journalistic investigation based on a leaked database containing more than 50,000 phone numbers potentially targeted by the spyware.
Apple and Cyber Watchdogs on High Alert
Adding to NSO Group’s troubles, Apple has been actively identifying and notifying individuals whose devices were compromised by Pegasus. Many of these notifications have led journalists, activists, and human rights defenders to seek assistance from cybersecurity nonprofits, further exposing the spyware’s reach.
Despite mounting evidence and global condemnation, NSO Group remains silent on the latest allegations. With each new exposé, the firm’s claim of exclusively supplying Pegasus to legitimate government agencies for counterterrorism purposes grows weaker.
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The Bigger Threat: Spyware in the Wrong Hands
Experts argue that NSO Group’s persistent misstep lies in selling its spyware to governments with a track record of targeting journalists and dissidents. As a result, operational security lapses by authoritarian regimes have repeatedly blown Pegasus’s cover. The more Pegasus is used for political repression, the easier it becomes for cybersecurity researchers to track and neutralize it.
This latest Pegasus scandal is yet another chilling reminder of the growing threat of cyber surveillance against the press. As spyware technology continues to evolve, so too must global efforts to combat its abuse and protect those who dare to expose the truth.