Spyware on smartphones has been linked to Journalist deaths in Israel, and it has been rampant in the country for some time now, saying it is propaganda. The said spyware is linked to Jeff Bezos' recent phone hack, which was said to be the work of a perpetrator coming from the Middle East.
The world may be plagued by COVID-19 now, but it also faces a massive attack from the digital community and threat actors which distribute a lot of viruses, malware, and other forms of breaches. It was initially reported that the "Joker Malware" is back, and it is an infamous name that attacks users and steals data.
Spyware on Smartphones Links to Journalist Deaths
According to the Washington Post, the "Pegasus" spyware has affected a lot of victims in Israel, but it does not stop in the country as it had been linked to different ones from all over the globe. What is more gruesome about this spyware is that it has been linked to several journalist deaths, highly suggesting that it affected two women victims.
The Pegasus spyware was licensed by an Israeli firm and was said to have come from the Middle Eastern country, bringing a massive threat as it is military-grade and very well protected.
The characteristics of the spyware are impressive as it is subtle and intense, making it a deeply embedded one on a person or target's device.
The Israeli firm, NSO Group, was reported by the Post to have sold this licensing of the spyware to the government, and it was used to track its citizens and know what they have been talking about.
The investigation has led researchers to discover more than 50,000 numbers to be under surveillance of the said spyware.
Jeff Bezos Phone Hack Linked
According to CNET, Jeff Bezos' previous phone hack was linked to the NSO Group, as fulfilled by the "crown prince of Saudi Arabia." This came from a WhatsApp account link sent to the Amazon founder and was opened or accessed by Bezos, giving way for the spyware to exploit the device back in 2018.
The same group, NSO from Israel, has licensed or has links to the spyware used, and there were speculations from cybersecurity researchers with its link to each other. The case on the NSO Group which is a cybersecurity firm grows strong, as different traces of links to said spyware point out to them as the origin.
Is There Any Protection from This?
There are a lot of protections from spyware, and the most important one would be to avoid opening links sent by anonymous or unknown senders, as well as friends. Users should always review what the URL displays, and if it does not have, the users should be warier about it.
Being protected starts from being smart and perceptive of the environment, even in the digital world, where security has a massive hole now.
Related Article : Spyware Detected by a Security Firm Pretends to be a Smartphone Update, Android Issues Warning to Users
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Richard
