AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The software can crack encrypted communications on both iPhones and Androids. Pegasus is produced by NSO and has been used to track terrorists and drug cartel members.”
I reached down into my mind. Where had I read about this? ANew York Timesarticle. Snippets began filtering back.
“Pegasus has also been used against journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists,” I said.
“There may have been instances.” Terse.
“What was that quote from the NSO sales brochure? Something about the software enabling law enforcement and spy agencies to”—I hooked air quotes—“?‘turn their target’s smartphone into an intelligence gold mine’?”
“That pitch referred to a program called Phantom.”
“Big difference. I read a lengthy exposé on NSO. Two investigative journalists found that the American government has some very cozy history with the company.”
Rossiter and Reid seemed to be looking to each other for help in getting the conversation back on track. And moving more quickly.
I was surprising even myself with how much I was recalling from that article I’d read. It must have made an impression. “Didn’t the FBI also purchase the system, planning to use it for domestic surveillance?”
“That didn’t happen.” Rossiter’s forehead now glistened like a sidewalk after a rain. The man was clearly uncomfortable.
More snippets from theTimespiece reconvened in my head.
“To demonstrate a ‘zero click’ version of the spyware, FBI personnel were instructed to buy smartphones and set them up with dummy accounts using SIM cards from outside the US. Pegasus engineers then opened their interface, entered the phone numbers, and began an attack.”
“Zero click?” Monck asked.
“Meaning the program didn’t require a user to open a malicious link or attachment. So the agents monitoring the phones couldn’t see the Pegasus computers connecting to a global network of servers, hacking the phones, then connecting back to equipment in a US facility. They saw no sign of a breach.”
Rossiter tried to interrupt, but I was on a roll.
“What theycouldsee, minutes later, was every piece of data stored on any of those phones unspooling into the Pegasus computers. Every email, photo, text thread, personal contact, whatever. They could also see the location of each phone, and even take control of their cameras and microphones.”
“Echoes of Edward Snowden,” Monck said. “Governments transforming personal devices into surveillance tools to spy on their own citizens.”
“Exactly. But there was a hitch. To placate the Americans, the Israeli government required NSO to make Pegasus incapable of targeting US numbers.”
“Let me guess,” said Monck. “Some genius came up with a workaround.”
“Phantom, a system that could hack any US device.”
“Wasn’t NSO eventually blacklisted by the Biden administratio—”
“Enough!”
Rossiter’s vehemence startled us both into silence.
“First of all, the FBI decided to never deploy Pegasus. Second, and more important, themoralityof the spyware is not the point!”
“Whatisthe point,” I pressed.
“I can’t go into that now.”
“Do it or we walk,” Monck insisted.
“You’re not grasping the urgency of the situation.”
“Help us understand,” I said.
“Jesus. Fine. The CliffsNotes version of NSO’s origin.”
