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Authorities have opened an investigation into the Israeli company, NSO Group, behind the Pegasus spyware. Officials from multiple different agencies within the Israeli government visited NSO Group’s offices as part of the new investigation amid claims that the firm is selling its powerful spyware to threat actors who then commit targeted attacks. The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the raid via Twitter on Wednesday, however, the ministry did not disclose with government agencies participated. According to media reports, Israeli agents visited the NSO Group’s offices in Herzliya, which is located near the city of Tel Aviv.
NSO Group has reported that they plan to operate with full transparency with the authorities and comply with the investigation process. The company stated that they were confident that the inspection will prove their innocence. However, some security experts believe differently, insisting that the company is responsible for a series of attacks against high-profile individuals, including world leaders such as French President Macron, activists, and human rights advocates. According to local media, the government is aiming to fully investigate the incident, referred to as the Pegasus Project, which consisted of a cache of more than 50,000 mobile numbers belonging to individuals across the world. The phone numbers were allegedly connected to journalists, business executives, politicians, and activists who were targeted with NSO Group’s spyware.
Read More: Israeli Government Agencies Visit NSO Group Offices