In 2016, the world learned about the Pegasus spyware developed by Israel's NSO Group. With just one click on a link, Pegasus gains complete control over a smartphone: access to calls, messages, camera, microphone—even when they’re turned off. Originally created to combat terrorism, the software was later used to monitor activists, journalists, and politicians, including close associates of Jamal Khashoggi. The scandal highlighted the privacy threats posed by such spyware.
P.S. You might ask how this is even possible?
Here’s the answer: when software is built to counter terrorism, the devices are often prepped in advance. This could mean something is installed beforehand, a pre-sale setup is done, or a bug is embedded in the system to enable access.
