Pegasus

Pegasus: India is the second most impacted country by the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, with 100 Indians targeted out of 1,223 individuals globally using WhatsApp in 2019, according to court documents.

• The revelation is part of a lawsuit filed by WhatsApp against the NSO Group, accusing it of exploiting a vulnerability in the messaging platform to target users including journalists, lawyers, politicians, and human rights activists.
• About: Pegasus is spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group.

o It can infect phones via exploit links or missed video calls, requiring no user interaction.

o Once installed, it grants complete access to the target's phone, including passwords, messages, calls, camera, and microphone.

• Capabilities of Pegasus: Accesses private data, passwords, contact lists, calendar events, emails, SMS, and browsing history.

o Activates the phone’s camera and microphone for live surveillance.

o Works on Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Symbian devices.

o Leaves no trace, has a self-destruct feature, and uses minimal resources to avoid detection.