NYT disclosure on spy software Pegasus: The spyware that the Indian government bought from Israel in 2017 was part of a $2 billion defense deal

Posted on 29th Jan 2022 by rohit kumar

The Indian government bought spy software Pegasus from the Israeli company NSO Group in 2017. This software was bought in the defense deal of 2 billion dollars (about 15 thousand crore rupees) done five years ago.

 

In this defense deal, India also bought a missile system and some weapons. This has been revealed in the report of the American newspaper New York Times.

 

However, the Modi government has consistently denied the use of Pegasus spy software. Neither India nor Israel has ever admitted that they had made a deal with Pegasus.

 

After a year-long investigation, the newspaper reported that the US investigative agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had also purchased this software. The FBI also tested it for years for home surveillance but decided not to use it last year.

 

Spyware used around the world

The NYT report describes how this spyware was used around the world. The Mexican government used it against journalists and opponents, while the Saudis used it against journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his associates who were critical of the royal family. The Israeli Defense Ministry had approved the use of Pegasus in several countries such as Poland, Hungary, and India.

 

Modi government brought Pegasus through a defense deal

In July 2017, Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. His message was clear that India is now changing its stand on Palestine and increasing its friendship with Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu was the Prime Minister of Israel at that time. During this, both the countries made a Weapon and Intelligence Gear deal worth about 15 thousand crores.

 

The deal included Pegasus along with missile systems. A few months later, Netanyahu visited India and in June 2019, India voted in favor of Israel at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The vote was against the granting of observer status to the Palestinian Human Rights Organization.

 

Pegasus installed in FBI building in 2019

In June 2019, three Israeli computer engineers arrived at the FBI's office in New Jersey. In one room, he unpacked dozens of computer servers and stored them in racks. The engineers then made several calls to their boss at the NSO Group headquarters in Herzliya, Tel Aviv, and began testing. The FBI had bought a version of Pegasus, NSO's main spy tool.

 

For nearly a decade, the Israeli firm had been selling its surveillance software on a subscription basis to law-enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world. The company claimed that no one else can do what this software can do. Through this, encrypted communication of any iPhone or Android smartphone can be cracked. The US decided to stop using Pegasus after several years of testing.

 

It was busted in July 2021 A global group of media groups revealed in July 2021 that several governments around the world had used spyware to spy on opponents and journalists. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, political strategist Prashant Kishor, the then election commissioner Ashok Lavasa along with more than 40 journalists were among those who were spied on in India.

 

What is Pegasus?

 

Pegasus is spyware. Spyware means the software used for spying or surveillance. Through this, any phone can be hacked. After hacking, all the information including the camera, mic, messages, and calls of that phone goes to the hacker. This spyware is made by the Israeli company NSO Group.

 

Supreme Court had formed a committee on the Pegasus case

 

The news portal 'The Wire' claimed in its report that the Indian government spied around 300 Indians from 2017 to 2019. The government hacked the phones of journalists, lawyers, social activists, opposition leaders, and businessmen with the help of Pegasus spyware.

 

Pegasus is spyware from Israel's cyber security company NSO. This was also disclosed in a joint report by 16 media organizations such as The Guardian and The Washington Post.

 

After its report, many people had petitioned the court against the government. After the petition was filed, on August 17, the court had issued a notice to the Center in this matter.

 

After giving the notice of the court, the Center said that it is ready to place all the information before an expert committee. Because of national security, he cannot make it public in front of the court.

 

In October, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramanna had constituted a three-member committee to probe the allegations of espionage. Former IPS officers Alok Joshi and Dr. Sandeep Oberoi were included in the committee along with Chairman Justice RV Raveendran.