The Israeli government appears to be turning to spyware maker NSO Group to help track hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to sources for Axios and Bloomberg.
NSO Group and Candiru are being asked to quickly upgrade their spyware capabilities, four cybersecurity industry sources and an Israeli government official told Bloomberg. Together with other software firms, NSO and Candiru are cooperating with each other on the requests and largely offering their services for free.
Axios reports Israeli agencies are likely using Pegasus — a “zero-click” malware that can be snuck onto a target’s device without them knowing — to help track people kidnapped by Hamas, as well as people who went missing during Hamas’ terrorist attack last month. Pegasus can be used to tap into cell phone signals to assess who was on the ground during Hamas’ surprise attack, and movement of those cell signals before and after the attack, according to the sources.
The Israeli Defense Ministry and Israeli Defense Forces declined comment. So did NSO, which makes Pegasus.
NSO’s Pegasus software is sold to governments and law enforcement agencies, which use it to hack into mobile phones and covertly record emails, phone calls and text messages. The Commerce Department blacklisted NSO and Candiru in 2021, banning them from receiving export contracts from American companies, reports Bloomberg.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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