We all are aware of the internet and technology nowadays! We all know how to use social media (Like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and so on). We all know how to download any software/application on our devices.

With all of this are we aware of the technology? How these tools/apps/software are working in our devices or we can say! How these soft and tools are using our data? that is stored in our device.

Nowadays everyone is busy in controversies of others but no one is focusing on what is going on in the tech field. Today we will discuss the latest sensation "The Pegasus Project".

What is Pegasus and how does it work?

Pegasus(spyware): This is capable of reading text messages, tracking calls, collecting passwords, location tracking, accessing the target device's microphone and camera, and harvesting information from apps. It is developed by NSO Group on the 25th of Jan in 2010.

Pegasus gains access to your phone through a variety of mechanisms, including a zero-day vulnerability in Apple’s iMessage app. A victim receives a message with a malicious link, which leads to a page that exploits a vulnerability in the device’s built-in browser.

Now we all are aware of Pegasus(SpyWare) and what it can do. Now Question comes why this is in trend? This is trending because according to the latest report(That are published over the Internet and which says: Govt are spying on their citizens!) In short, Govt can read calls and texts, can access the phone's microphone and camera whenever they want.

There are many stories from Top Publications like TOI, The IndianExpress, TheWire, etc. There is a list of 155 people, who are the targets! Which includes our PM: Narendra Modi, our CM: Arvind Kejriwal, PMO, and NITI Aayog Officials on the list.

How was Pegasus detected?

“On Android devices, the relative openness of the platform seems to have allowed the company to successfully erase all its traces, meaning that we have very little idea which of the Android users who were targeted by Pegasus were successfully effected. There is a file, data usage. SQLite, which records what software has run on an iPhone. It’s not accessible to the user of the device, but if you back up the iPhone to a computer and search through the backup, you can find the file. The records of Pegasus had been removed from that file, of course – but only once. What the NSO Group didn’t know, or perhaps didn’t spot, is that every time some software is run, it is listed twice in that file. And so by comparing the two lists and looking for inconsistencies, Amnesty’s researchers were able to spot when the infection landed.”

What can you do to protect your phone?

Step we can take to stay safe.

• Only open links from known and trusted contacts and sources when using your device. This is especially relevant if you receive links as text messages.
• Make sure your devices are updated with the latest patch.
• Limit physical access to your phone by enabling a PIN code as well as finger or face-locking on your device.
• Use a VPN and a mobile anti-malware tool.

Sources I've Used.

TheWire Article: https://thewire.in/business/pegasus-project-naresh-goyal-ajay-singh-and-india-inc-in-the-viewfinder

TOI Article: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/false-rumours-stand-by-findings-of-pegasus-project-says-amnesty-international/articleshow/84643073.cms

The IndianExpress Article: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pegasus-project-top-ed-officer-kejriwal-aide-pmo-and-niti-aayog-officials-figure-in-list-7423276/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)