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Abstract
Pegasus is spyware that can be installed on devices running certain versions of iOS, Apple's mobile operating system and android devices, developed by the Israeli cyber arms firm, NSO Group. It is believed to have broken through encrypted communication systems such as WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook etc. The company has stated that, it only sold its technology to licensed government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to help them fight terrorism and serious crime. Pegasus is a modular malware that can initiate total surveillance on the targeted device & can extract calls, contacts, messages, emails, photos, files, locations, passwords. The Spyware enters the phone even if the call is not answered & the report of that call log also gets erased. To ensure that it is never found out, Pegasus is designed to never use more than 5% of the free space on your phone. Security experts have repeatedly advised against downloading suspicious files by clicking on unknown links. The Facebook-owned messaging service listed the two precautionary measures in a message to users it believed were affected by the sophisticated Pegasus spyware. “How to stay secure: Always use the latest version of WhatsApp & keep your mobile operating system updated to receive the latest security protections” it read. Ironically, these instances point out to a weakening of India’s cyber sovereignty. If the Indian state plans to leverage offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, it needs to get serious about cyber security, both for its own narrow, political interests as well as those of its citizenry.