Apple Starts Battle By Thwarting NSO Group's Spyware Business With Lawsuits

Apple sues NSO Group for using Pegasus spyware to adapt iPhones. (photo; doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Apple has finally started the battle by suing the NSO Group, claiming the Israeli company violated US law by selling ways to hack their iPhones.

In the lawsuit, Apple says NSO's spyware program Pegasus, which can remotely hack its flagship product, the iPhone, is the work of unscrupulous 21st century mercenaries.

The tech giant is also seeking to block the company from being able to use any Apple products, a move that would destroy NSO's current business model if enforced.

This is because Apple is working to protect its users from misuse and further harm resulting from NSO Group technology.

“State-sponsored actors like the NSO Group spend millions of dollars on advanced surveillance technology without effective accountability. That needs to change," said Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi.

Reporting from NBC News, Wednesday, November 24, Pegasus spyware can be installed remotely on a target iPhone or iPad, so the person or organization who installed it can give the Pegasus owner full access to the device and all the data it stores, without the user of the device realizing it.

Including text messages, emails and even recording phone calls. Pegasus was originally designed and marketed by its creator NSO Group to monitor criminals and terrorists.

Knowing that many of its users were affected by the Pegasus attack, Apple immediately introduced an iPhone security patch update on iOS 14.8 in September, to cover a vulnerability that was reportedly being exploited by the NSO Group spyware.

However, the NSO Group has long insisted that it only leases its technology to legitimate governments for the purpose of tracking criminals and enforcing laws and interests.

The claim was immediately countered by cybersecurity researchers who discovered that NSO's software was being used by governments to spy on human rights activists and journalists around the world.

"Thousands of lives have been saved worldwide thanks to NSO Group's technology used by its customers. Pedophiles and terrorists can freely operate in technology shelters, and we provide governments with legitimate tools to fight them. NSO Group will continue to advocate for the truth," the spokesperson said the NSO Group.

While it's unlikely a government entity will install Pegasus on your iPhone to monitor your activity, if you're curious, there's a free tool that lets you check if your iPhone or iPad has been infected with the Pegasus spyware, see below as quoted from CNET.

Try Installing iMazing

iMazing has updated its desktop application to include Amnesty International's Mobile Verification Tool, which was created to detect signs of the Pegasus spyware on devices. Interestingly, you can access the feature in a free trial.

First you need to download iMazing from the official website of the company iMazing.com from your computer. Then install iMazing and open it. Choose a free trial.

With iMazing installed and running, connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer. You may have to enter the Lock Screen code on your device to approve the connection before proceeding.

Next, scroll down through the action options on the right side of iMazing and then click on Detect Spyware. Agree to all the rules, and click Start Analysis, then your iPhone or iPad will be instantly scanned for spyware.

Keep in mind, this tool works by creating a local backup of your device, so you should make sure that your device has enough storage space for the backup.

Once the process starts, make sure you leave your iPhone or iPad connected until it's done. When iMazing finishes scanning, you will be shown the results, and otherwise, it shows no signs of infection and has 0 warnings. That means your iPhone or device is clean and safe from Pegasus spyware.