Bloomberg: Israel uses company that developed Pegasus spyware to track hostages

Israeli security services use companies specializing in the production of spyware, including the company behind the controversial “Pegasus” program, to track down hostages held by the Hamas movement, classified as a terrorist organization, Bloomberg reported, citing informed sources.

Four cybersecurity industry sources and an Israeli government official said authorities have asked NCO Group and Candero, both blacklisted by the United States, to quickly develop their spyware capabilities to meet the forces’ needs. security of the country.

The sources, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on military operations, added that the companies mentioned above, along with many other software companies, cooperate with the request of the Israeli authorities and provide their services largely free of charge .

The Israeli Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the Israeli military and Noncommissioned Officer, the manufacturer of the Pegasus program, also declined to comment.

In turn, Candero said in a statement Thursday that he was ready to support “the war effort in any way required,” without going into details, according to Bloomberg.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which first published information about the use of spyware companies by the authorities, said that the companies “Ryzon” and “Pargon” also provide assistance.

Hamas kidnapped more than 220 people, including Israelis, foreigners and dual nationals, during the unprecedented attack it launched on October 7 on Israeli cities, leaving more than 1,400 people dead.

Hamas released two female Israeli civilians on Monday after releasing two hostages with American and Israeli citizenship on Friday, brokered by Qatar.

Bloomberg cites separate sources familiar with the discussions as saying that Israel is discussing ways to rescue the hostages with other governments, who have provided information and expertise on rescue operations, in case diplomatic efforts with Qatar and Egypt fail at this regard.

In July 2021, an international investigation revealed a list of more than 50,000 names that had been spied on through the Pegasus system, including heads of state, journalists and opponents. The investigation indicated that the manufacturer sold the program to countries and authoritarian regimes around the world.

Once installed on a mobile phone, Pegasus allows you to intercept the phone’s user by viewing messages, data, photos and contacts and also allows remote activation of the microphone and camera.