4 ms·

The Citizen Lab reports (one linked from this article) about the Israeli NSO Group's Pegasus spyware have been really scary for a few years now already. This i

by nsajko 6y ago

The Citizen Lab reports (one linked from this article) about the Israeli NSO Group's Pegasus spyware have been really scary for a few years now already. This is a frightening 8-part series about the abuse of "Pegasus" in Mexico 2017-2019: https://citizenlab.ca/2017/02/bittersweet-nso-mexico-spyware/ https://citizenlab.ca/2017/02/bittersweet-nso-mexico-spyware... Here's a category of articles on the citizenlab.ca web site described as "Investigations into the prevalence and impact of digital espionage operations against civil society groups": https://citizenlab.ca/category/research/targeted-threats/ https://citizenlab.ca/category/research/targeted-threats/

fortran77 6y ago
NSO Group is owned by Novalpina Capital, a British company.
- CapitalistCartr 6y ago
  "NSO Group Technologies (NSO standing for Niv, Shalev and Omri, names of company's founders) is an Israeli technology firm whose spyware called Pegasus enables the remote surveillance of smartphones. It was founded in 2010 by Niv Carmi, Omri Lavie, and Shalev Hulio. It employed almost 500 people as of 2017, and is based in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv." --Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSO_Group https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSO_Group
  - fortran77 6y ago
    It's owned by a British holding firm.
    - ajkjk 6y ago
      Because it is an Israeli company? that's what the parent comment showed.
      - titanomachy 6y ago
        fortran77 appears to be correct. London-based Novalpina is a major owner of NSO since 2019. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-novalpina-capital-and-founders-buy-nso-for-1b-1001273312 https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-novalpina-capital-and-fou...
        ta17711771 6y ago
        But...why does this change anything about what was described?
        nl 6y ago
        I don't think it changes anything, but is additional correct information. Edit: For reasons that are extremely unclear, someone is downvoting people who are saying this. To make it clear why this information is important: If you run a startup and a potential investor is this British group I think it's important to know what else they invest in.
        fortran77 6y ago
        Thank you.
    - sdfgsdfgsdfg 6y ago
      So, start describing Google, Facebook et al as "an Irish firm"
- alasdair_ 6y ago
  >NSO Group is owned by Novalpina Capital, a British company. Wy do you call it "Israeli?" I assume because it was founded by three Israeli citizens, in Israel, and the HQ and staff almost all work near Tel Aviv. And while Novalpina Capital provided funding, that was only in a partnership with two of the original founders, as a buy-out.
  - tacheiordache 6y ago
    Watch out, only naming a company israeli may target you as an antisemite. Be more subtle or you risk a lot of downvotes
    - hnanon1 6y ago
      Lol, right.
  - jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
    Buying something is the same as making it yourself right?
    - alasdair_ 6y ago
      >Buying something is the same as making it yourself right? No. And I didn't claim anything of the sort.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- nsajko 6y ago
  "Israel classifies Pegasus as a weapon and must approve any exports of the technology." - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/spyware-technology-found-on-phone-of-moroccan-journalist-report-says/2020/06/21/ca409294-b220-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/spyware-techno...

by nsajko 6y ago

fortran77 6y ago

NSO Group is owned by Novalpina Capital, a British company.

CapitalistCartr 6y ago
"NSO Group Technologies (NSO standing for Niv, Shalev and Omri, names of company's founders) is an Israeli technology firm whose spyware called Pegasus enables the remote surveillance of smartphones. It was founded in 2010 by Niv Carmi, Omri Lavie, and Shalev Hulio. It employed almost 500 people as of 2017, and is based in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv." --Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSO_Group https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSO_Group
- fortran77 6y ago
  It's owned by a British holding firm.
  - ajkjk 6y ago
    Because it is an Israeli company? that's what the parent comment showed.
    - titanomachy 6y ago
      fortran77 appears to be correct. London-based Novalpina is a major owner of NSO since 2019. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-novalpina-capital-and-founders-buy-nso-for-1b-1001273312 https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-novalpina-capital-and-fou...
      - ta17711771 6y ago
        But...why does this change anything about what was described?
        nl 6y ago
        I don't think it changes anything, but is additional correct information. Edit: For reasons that are extremely unclear, someone is downvoting people who are saying this. To make it clear why this information is important: If you run a startup and a potential investor is this British group I think it's important to know what else they invest in.
      - fortran77 6y ago
        Thank you.
  - sdfgsdfgsdfg 6y ago
    So, start describing Google, Facebook et al as "an Irish firm"
alasdair_ 6y ago
>NSO Group is owned by Novalpina Capital, a British company. Wy do you call it "Israeli?" I assume because it was founded by three Israeli citizens, in Israel, and the HQ and staff almost all work near Tel Aviv. And while Novalpina Capital provided funding, that was only in a partnership with two of the original founders, as a buy-out.
- tacheiordache 6y ago
  Watch out, only naming a company israeli may target you as an antisemite. Be more subtle or you risk a lot of downvotes
  - hnanon1 6y ago
    Lol, right.
- jacobwilliamroy 6y ago
  Buying something is the same as making it yourself right?
  - alasdair_ 6y ago
    >Buying something is the same as making it yourself right? No. And I didn't claim anything of the sort.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
nsajko 6y ago
"Israel classifies Pegasus as a weapon and must approve any exports of the technology." - https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/spyware-technology-found-on-phone-of-moroccan-journalist-report-says/2020/06/21/ca409294-b220-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/spyware-techno...