If you’ve heard about the Pegasus scandal, the notorious spyware developed by the Israeli NSO Group, you know how crucial the security of your smartphone is. Pegasus is designed to install discreetly on your iOS or Android devices, exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities unknown to the tech giants. Worse yet, thanks to zero-click exploits, the malware can be activated without any interaction on your part.
An innovative solution to a growing threat
The company iVerify is shaking up the rules of mobile cybersecurity by offering its new “Mobile Threat Hunting” functionality. This technology, the result of complex development, can detect traces of Pegasus spyware by analyzing diagnostic data, shutdown logs and device crash reports. The innovation lies in the use of machine learning models calibrated as close as possible to the core of the system, thus circumventing the restrictions imposed by iOS.
Vice President of Research at iVerify, Matthias Frielingsdorf, emphasizes that the development of this tool required considerable investment, especially due to the particularly locked mobile operating systems. But the game was worth it: the application is now number 1 in the Utilities category of the App Store.
Results that challenge
Of the first 2,500 devices analyzed by the tool, seven Pegasus infections were identified. This apparently modest figure is actually worrying because it reveals a more widespread use of this highly sophisticated spyware than imagined. The analyzes revealed infections dating back several years:
- An infection on iOS 16.6 dating from 2023
- A compromise under iOS 15 dating back to November 2022
- Older infections on iOS 14 and iOS 15 from 2021 and 2022
This timeline demonstrates that some devices can be spied on for years without their owners being aware of it, and this is the whole problem raised by Pegasus spyware.
An accessible solution for everyone who questions
For only €0.99, iVerify Basic offers:
- Free monthly device scan
- An in-depth analysis done in five minutes
- A detailed report sent within hours of the analysis
However, you should not blindly believe the promises of a simple €0.99 application. We share the same concerns as some users. The app is either ineffective due to a lack of quality data (fortunately iOS is a closed system), or it requires the user to provide a huge amount of sensitive information to a company with an unknown reputation ( like copies of crash logs, adding MDM/VPN profiles, etc.). In both cases, it’s complicated.
Furthermore, “machine learning” in cybersecurity cannot do without human intervention. It’s too risky.
In any case, this democratization of cybersecurity marks an important turning point. As iVerify points out, “Gone are the days when you could consider iPhones and Android phones safe right out of the box.” Although NSO Group maintains that it only sells Pegasus to allied government agencies of the United States and Israel to combat crime and terrorism, the reality on the ground shows broader usage requiring increased vigilance from users. . At this price you are not taking much risk, even if its effectiveness is probably limited.
Download iVerify Basic at €0.99
