The FBI confirmed on Wednesday that it had purchased Pegasus spyware from Israel's NSO Group, but denied ever using it during an operation.
News that the FBI had purchased the notorious spyware from NSO was first reported by The New York Times last week.
The Guardian reported that the FBI purchased a license to use Pegasus in 2019, after a "Long process" of negotiations between US officials and NSO. In November 2021, the US government announced a blacklist of NSO Group alongside a second Israeli spyware company.
In an interview aired over the weekend on Channel 12 news, NSO Group CEO Shalev Hulio said the US decision was hypocritical.
A Washington Post report on Tuesday alleged that NSO offered a US cellphone-security firm "Bags of cash" to gain access to cellular networks throughout the country.
In a statement released by NSO and cited by The Washington Post, NSO said that it had "Never done any business with" Mobileum, and that it "Does not do business using cash as a form of payment," noting that it is not aware of any investigation being carried out by the Justice Department.
According to Mobileum chief executive Bobby Srinivasan, the company "Does not have - and has never had - any business relationship with NSO Group."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fbi-confirms-purchasing-pegasus-spyware-but-denies-using-it/
No comments:
Post a Comment