Pegasus spyware found on journalists’ phones after Apple alert, says Amnesty
- The Wire news website’s founder editor and another journalist in India were targeted with Pegasus spyware this year
- The nonprofit Amnesty International’s Security Lab was able to determine after testing their devices
Pegasus:
- It is a type of malicious software or malware classified as a spyware.
- It is designed to gain access to devices, without the knowledge of users, and gather personal information and relay it back to whoever it is that is using the software to spy.
- Pegasus has been developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group that was set up in 2010.
Recent Steps Taken in India:
- Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative
- National Cyber security Coordination Centre (NCCC)
- Cyber Swachhta Kendra
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)
- Computer Emergency Response Team - India (CERT-IN)
- Information Technology Act, 2000
- Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019
Prelims Takeaway
- Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative:
- National Cyber security Coordination Centre (NCCC)
- Cyber Swachhta Kendra