NSO Group broke into the mainstream in 2019 when reports emerged showing the extent to which its Pegasus spyware had been used against 1,400 WhatsApp messages in addition to attacks against iPhones.
Pegasus was an insidious attack that, once installed, granted total access to compromised devices. It turned people’s phone records, emails, messages, video content, and location data into open books, and could even be used to activate cameras and microphones to engage in remote surveillance.
Litigation potentially raised the risk
Both Apple and Facebook began litigation against NSO Group, but Apple withdrew its attempt last year, arguing that continuing in the claim could undermine the systems it has built to secure its ecosystem. “While Apple continues to believe in the merits of its claims, it has also determined that proceeding further with this case has the potential to put vital security information at risk,” it told the court.
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