Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced today a new visa restriction policy that will enable the Department of State to ban those linked to commercial spyware from entering the United States.
According to the State Department, the deployment of commercial spyware tools developed by Intellexa S.A. from Greece, Intellexa Limited from Ireland, Cytrox Holdings Zrt from Hungary, and Cytrox AD from North Macedonia on a worldwide scale aimed to intimidate political adversaries, restrict freedom of speech, suppress dissent, and keep track of journalists’ activity.
Where is Pegasus from Israel? I’m not into infosec but that’s the one I’ve heard most about.
You’re actually looking for NSO Group, the makers of Pegasus. They are suspiciously absent as are all of the other myriad spyware shops in Israel that have come from Unit 8200 alumni.
However, I think this is just a Bleeping Computer omission. Other articles mention NSO Group by name and the actual press release itself doesn’t mention any company by name. It instead defines the misuse which, theoretically, NSO Group and peers fall under.
Estonia entered negotiations to procure Pegasus in 2018, and had made a $30 million down payment for the tool. Estonia hoped to use the tool against Russian phones (presumably for gathering intelligence). Israel initially approved the export of Pegasus to Estonia, but after a senior Russian defense official approached the Israeli defense agencies and revealed that Russia had learned of Estonia’s intentions to obtain Pegasus, Israel decided to disallow Estonia from using Pegasus against any Russian phone number (following a heated debate among Israeli officials) so as to avoid damaging Israeli relations with Russia.
Traded to government agencies in many countries but seems to also be approved by the israeli govt with clear distinction who can buy it and who can be targeted.
Where is Pegasus from Israel? I’m not into infosec but that’s the one I’ve heard most about.
You’re actually looking for NSO Group, the makers of Pegasus. They are suspiciously absent as are all of the other myriad spyware shops in Israel that have come from Unit 8200 alumni.
However, I think this is just a Bleeping Computer omission. Other articles mention NSO Group by name and the actual press release itself doesn’t mention any company by name. It instead defines the misuse which, theoretically, NSO Group and peers fall under.
Is Pegasus commercial?
Traded to government agencies in many countries but seems to also be approved by the israeli govt with clear distinction who can buy it and who can be targeted.
Fascinating. I guess that’s technically commercial.