Home / News

India Seeks Alternatives to NSO Group Spyware Amid Global Snooping Scandals

BLACK FRIDAY DISCOUNT - CircleID x NordVPN
Get NordVPN  [74% +3 extra months, from $2.99/month]
Illustration: PX Media / Adobe Stock

The Indian government is seeking to acquire new spyware in an effort to replace the controversial Pegasus system, which has been blacklisted by the US government. India has never publicly acknowledged being a customer of the Israeli company NSO, however, the company’s malware has been found on the phones of journalists, academics and opposition leaders around India.

Those familiar with Indian deliberations have indicated that officials have shown interest in various competitors, many of which have been developed by firms in Israel, “home to the most advanced spyware companies with strong links to the country’s military,” according to a report in the Financial Times.

The US government is attempting to clamp down on the $12 billion industry of commercial spyware, believing it to be an ever-increasing threat to its national security. US President Joe Biden issued an executive order this week targeting manufacturers tied to abuses in other countries, with the aim of squeezing them out of the US market.

India’s move shows that the demand for this technology remains strong despite the increasing evidence of governments worldwide abusing it. The Indian government is concerned about the PR problem caused by the ability of human rights groups to forensically trace Pegasus, as well as warnings from Apple and WhatsApp to those who have been targeted. 

According to the reports, those familiar with Indian deliberations said officials were considering companies such as Intellexa, Quadream and Cognyte, all of which have been built by Israeli companies with strong links to the country’s military. These companies are seeking to replace the NSO Group, which had previously been considered a pioneer in the field.

It is expected that the bidding process will attract rival spyware firms from countries such as Australia, Italy, France, Belarus, Cyprus, the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. NSO Group has said that it remains profitable and cash positive due to its contracts with allies to the US and Israel.

By CircleID Reporter

CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.

Visit Page

Filed Under

Comments

Comment Title:

  Notify me of follow-up comments

We encourage you to post comments and engage in discussions that advance this post through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can report it using the link at the end of each comment. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of CircleID. For more information on our comment policy, see Codes of Conduct.

CircleID Newsletter The Weekly Wrap

More and more professionals are choosing to publish critical posts on CircleID from all corners of the Internet industry. If you find it hard to keep up daily, consider subscribing to our weekly digest. We will provide you a convenient summary report once a week sent directly to your inbox. It's a quick and easy read.

Related

Topics

Cybersecurity

Sponsored byVerisign

New TLDs

Sponsored byRadix

Brand Protection

Sponsored byCSC

Threat Intelligence

Sponsored byWhoisXML API

IPv4 Markets

Sponsored byIPv4.Global

DNS

Sponsored byDNIB.com

Domain Names

Sponsored byVerisign