New York Times journalist Ben Hubbard published a long article in which he revealed that his iPhone was hacked twice by hackers during his work in the Middle East.
In the article, he spoke in detail about what happened and claims that many people mistakenly believe that familiar technologies and devices, including the iPhone, are safe. The article is called “I was hacked. Spyware used against me makes us all vulnerable. “
Ben Hubbard clarifies that both times his iPhone was infiltrated with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. In fact, a total of four attempts were found in Hubbard’s phone logs: the first two were in the form of dangerous links sent via WhatsApp and SMS.
When Hubbard did not open the links, two more attacks were initiated – this time they did not require any action from the victim. As a result, the hackers got into the phone and got access to the journalist’s personal data. The NSO Group, the creator and owner of the Pegasus software used in these attacks, is a large Israel-based surveillance firm that typically licenses spyware to government agencies to track criminals and terrorists.
However, such a tool is very easy to misuse and has already been grossly abused by governments in many countries, where it has been used illegally to monitor dozens of innocent civilians. All four attacks on Hubbard’s phone likely originated in Saudi Arabia, a country that has repeatedly abused Pegasus spyware. The software developers have already suspended the Pegasus license twice.
As it turned out, I didn’t even need to follow the link for my phone to get infected.
Ben Hubbard
.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.