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Let's say you came home after a long day and started surfing on the internet to unwind… While you were spending time at a site like Verde Casino online, your computer suddenly shut down, your mobile phones became inoperable, and you even have problems with all other devices connected to your home network. This scenario may be more realistic than you think. Pegasus, the spyware developed by Israeli NSO Group Ltd, may have chosen you as its next victim. So, what is this software that has been on the media's agenda lately, what is it used for, and should we be worried?
Pegasus is the name of a system developed by the Israeli NSO Group, whose employees were former intelligence officers. We call it a “system” because it does not consist of a single software: Pegasus looks like a platform and contains many modules that can track the targets at different levels. This system is designed to track terrorists, criminals, money launderers, and those who engage in illegal activities in general. According to the NSO Group, it is only sold to states. However, as you know from the news reflected in the media recently, it seems almost everyone other than the terrorists has been tracked with this system.
A desktop computer with standard features is enough to run Pegasus spyware. The program requires a Core i5 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a Windows operating system. NSO company makes different pricing according to the phone brands where Pegasus software will be used. While 500 thousand dollars are charged only for the setup, 650 thousand dollars is demanded for monitoring 10 iPhone or Android users, 500 thousand dollars for 5 BlackBerry users, and 300 thousand dollars for 5 Symbian-based phones.
Pegasus was installed on at least 1500 phones around the world, and many critical figures were tracked. French President Emanuel Macron was among them. It is known that Mexico and India are among the customers of the NSO company too. In India, 40 journalists, dozens of politicians, including Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, members of the judiciary, soldiers and businessmen were tracked with Pegasus. It is also known that the following leaders were also the targets of Pegasus:
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been tracked since the 2018 election.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly
Moroccan Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani
Iraqi Prime Minister Barham Saleh
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
King Mohammed VI of Morocco
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri
It is stated that private images of dozens of women monitored in India with Pegasus spyware may have been recorded. The news circulating in the media also claims that women whose private photos have been recorded with Pegasus are exposed to blackmail.
Pegasus software is not just spyware installed on a smartphone or computer. The program doesn't just collect data, it takes complete control of your device. For example, your phone has a GPS-based location tracking feature, but you turn it off. Doing this doesn't work if your phone has Pegasus: It can both turn the GPS feature on and off. It can also determine whether the phone is actively used or not while recording sound.
The data obtained through Pegasus software is encrypted with AES 128-bit. The interesting thing is that Pegasus stores the collected data in the tracked phone: The data is compressed and encrypted so that it does not exceed 5 percent of the phone's memory.
The most interesting feature of Pegasus is its self-destruct mechanism. If there is no signal for 60 days from the device on which the Pegasus software is installed, the self-destruct mechanism of the spyware is activated, and no one can detect that there was spyware on that device. Also, interestingly, this spyware does not infect American phones. NSO is so careful that it does not allow phones with spyware to travel to the United States. The moment a target enters America, the Pegasus spyware on their device goes into self-destruct mode.
So, are we all under threat? Theoretically, yes: people who buy this software can install it on any smartphone they want. In practice, however, only politicians and people likely to influence society (e.g., journalists) are tracked. So, if you're an ordinary person like 99% of the population, you don't have to worry. But remember: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you're not being followed.
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