Pegasus Spyware Exposed: How This Infamous Tool Hacks Your Phone

What is spyware? 

Before we learn about the Pegasus platform, let us understand what spyware is and how it works. Spyware is a category of malware that can gather information regarding a user or a device straight from the host machine. It is mostly spread by malicious links via email or chat applications.

When a link to the malware is received, clicking on this link will activate the spyware, which allows the hacker to spy on all our user information. With some spyware systems, even clicking on the link isn’t necessary to trigger the malicious payload. This can ultimately cause security complications and further loss of privacy.

The Pegasus is a spyware system developed by an Israeli company known as the NSO Group. It runs on mainly mobile devices, spanning across the major operating systems like Apple’s iOS and iPhone and the standard Android versions. This is not a newly developed platform since Pegasus has existed since as early as 2016.

The buyers of the software had full control over surveillance limits. Sovereign nations soon became the primary clients. They could easily spy on private public information through the service. The spyware could infect multiple devices. This created a network for gathering information. This network keeps feeding data to the host.

Read more about Impact Of Ai On cyber security in 2024.

We all communicate with friends and family over instant messaging applications and email. In some instances, if you check your inbox on a regular basis, you must have noticed that we receive some spam emails that mail providers like Gmail and Yahoo can just filter into the spam folder.

Some of these messages bypass this filter and make their way into a person’s inbox. They look like generic emails, which are supposed to be safe. Pegasus spyware targets such occurrences, bypassing malicious messages and links that install the necessary spy software on the user’s mobile device, be it an Android or an iPhone.

Pegasus was able to affect the latest devices with all the security patches installed.But some bugs are not reported to the developers or just cannot be fixed without breaking some core functionality. These become the gateways for spyware to enter the system. You can never be 100% safe, but you sure can give it all to protecting yourself. The one thing where Pegasus stands out is a zero-click action feature.

Usually, in spam emails, the malicious code is activated when the user clicks the malware link. A user doesn’t need to click the link in the new version of Pegasus or a few other spyware programs. Once the message arrives in the inbox of WhatsApp, Gmail, or any other chat applications, the spyware gets activated, and everything can be recorded and sent back to the central server.

The primary issue with being affected by spyware as a victim is detection. Unlike crypto miners and trojans, spying services usually do not demand many system resources, which makes them tough to detect after they have been activated. Since many devices slow down after a couple of years, any kind of performance set due to such spyware is often attributed to poor software longevity by the users. 

Step 1: Download Net Protector Firewall App In order to prevent Pegasus from spying on your phone, simply download an Android application – Net Protector Firewall. This firewall application will help you to block the internet access of your complete Android phone, exceptionally allowing only those applications which are safe.

Step 2: Enable the App and Configure Settings Simply install this app and then enable it from the top side. Now, here you will be able to see a lot of Android apps. You simply need to enable the internet of only those applications which really need internet. It is recommended to only enable those apps which you use for internet, for example:

• Chrome browser
• WhatsApp
• Phone banking application

These are the essential applications that require the internet. You can enable them, and the rest of the applications will be deprived of using the internet. Therefore, all the malicious software or spyware that really needs the internet will not be able to communicate, and hence, spying activity will be aborted.

In conclusion, it’s essential to stay vigilant about cybersecurity threats, particularly when clicking links or installing apps on mobile devices. If you notice any apps behaving suspiciously or transmitting data without your knowledge, it’s best to remove them immediately. Additionally, it’s important to educate and monitor children and older family members who might not be fully aware of these risks.