Pegasus is hacking software developed by the Israeli company NSO Group that has the capability to infect billions of phones running iOS or Android. It can turn infected phones into 24-hour surveillance devices by copying messages, photos, and recording calls and conversations without the owner's knowledge. Pegasus infections can occur through "zero-click" attacks exploiting vulnerabilities without any interaction from the phone's owner. This allows it to gain backdoor access and extract valuable data from a target's device. Once installed, Pegasus has complete access to files, messages, location, and more, making it very difficult to detect and remove.

1. What is Pegasus?
Pegasus is the hacking software – or spyware–that is developed, marketed
and licensed to governments around the world by the Israelicompany NSO
Group. Ithas the capability to infect billions of phones running either iOS or
Android operating systems.
The earliest version of Pegasus discovered, which was captured by researchers
in 2016, infected phones through whatis called spear-phishing –text messages
or emails that trick a target into clicking on a malicious link.1
How does it work in our Device?
Once it has wormed its way on to your phone, without you noticing, it can turn
it into a 24-hour surveillancedevice. Itcan copy messages you send or receive,
harvestyour photos and record your calls. Itmight secretly film you through
your phone’s camera, or activate the microphoneto record your
conversations. Itcan potentially pinpoint where you are, whereyou’vebeen,
and who you’vemet.
Pegasus infections can be achieved through so-called “zero-click” attacks,
which do not require any interaction from the phone’s owner in order to
succeed. These will often exploit “zero-day” vulnerabilities.
In 2019 WhatsApp revealed that NSO’s softwarehad been used to send
malwareto more than 1,400 phones by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability.
Simply by placing a WhatsApp call to a target device, malicious Pegasus code
could be installed on the phone, even if the target never answered the call.
More recently NSO has begun exploiting vulnerabilities in Apple’s iMessage
software, giving it backdoor access to hundreds of millions of iPhones. Apple
says it is continually updating its softwareto prevent such attacks. [The
Guardian, 18th
July, 2021].
How does it enter in to your phone?
 Missed Calls- which will disappear after a while
 Imessages –Whatsapp
 SMS and E-mails
 Photo Gallery
1 Between 2017-2019,300 mobile phones, more than 40 Journalists,3 opposition leaders,2 union ministers
and scientists were targeted by Pegasus.

2. What makes Pegasus Desired Spy?
 “Zero Click” Technology
 Almost Impossibleto Detect
 Self-Destructs
 Complete Access- Kernelof the Device
 Effective across platforms and operative systems
What Pegasus can Access?
 File Retreaval
 Instantmessaging
 Photos and Screen shots
 MicrophoneRecording
 E-mail& SMS
 Location Tracking
 Network Information
 Device Setting
 Browsing History
 Contact Details
 Social Network
 Calendar Records
 Phone Calls
 Passwords
Social Concerns
 Rise of a more bureaucratised , cyber-controlled society (Ishay)-Freedom
of Thoughtand Freedom of Expression
 Breach of Privacy (Data Privacy, bodily privacy)
 Pegasus can “remotely” and covertly extract valuable intelligence from
virtually any mobile device
 Hacking fromEncrypted communication (Whatsapp, Facebook,
Telegram etc.,)
Human Rights and Human Dignity
 Human rights experts with the United Nations urged countries to
temporarily suspend the sale and transfer of surveillance technology across
the world. This comes amid allegations that Israeli-made Pegasus spyware

3. was used to monitor politicians, journalists and activists around the world,
including India.
 “It is highly dangerous and irresponsible to allow the surveillance
technology and trade sector to operate as a human rights-free zone,” the
experts said in a statement.
 Human Rights to Privacy
 Right to Forgotten
 Right to Dignity
 Right to Freedom of Expression