NSO Group: the manufacturer of controversial spy software Pegasus opens an investigation

The Israeli manufacturer of controversial espionage software Pegasus announced on Friday that it has launched an investigation after press information reporting that his software had been used to spy on American diplomats in Africa.The people concerned were warned by Apple that their phone was targeted by this software which allows access to the files, listen to conversations or follow the trips, say this information.

Potentially concerned customers suspension

NSO Group indicated in a message transmitted to AFP having already suspended customers potentially concerned "due to the gravity of the accusations", without however identifying them.The group claims to have received "for the moment no information, telephone number or indication that NSO software has been used in this case".But he says he is ready "to cooperate with any competent government authority and to share all the information in his possession".A collective of international media revealed this summer that Pegasus had made it possible to spy on the issues of journalists, politicians, activists or business leaders from different countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

But American diplomats seemed to have been spared, especially because Pegasus is, according to NSO, designed not to be used on numbers starting with +1, the telephone indicative of the United States.According to the daily Washington Post and the Reuters agency, Pegasus has been used to infiltrate the iPhone of at least nine employees of the State Department based in Uganda or mainly working on issues related to East Africa.Washington had added NSO Group to its list of companies prohibited in early November.

The iPhone manufacturer, who recently filed a complaint against NSO Group in the United States, asking to definitively ban the Israeli company software on his devices, did not wish to comment on Friday.He had, shortly after the revelations this summer, repaired a computer vulnerability operated by Pegasus which allowed people to spy on people without even that users did not click on links or messages trapped.Apple had indicated at the time of filing its complaint that he would inform the "small number" of users who may have been targeted by this type of attack.