More specifically, it can be said that Pegasus is a surveillance device (spyware)
Semarang (ANTARA) – Cyber security expert Doctor Pratama Persadha advised Indonesian President Joko Widodo and state officials not to use WhatsApp (WA) to avoid Pegasus.
Pratama Persadha through a statement received by ANTARA in Semarang, Saturday night, explained that Pegasus is a malware dangerous that can enter someone’s device and carry out activities surveillance or a spy.
According to Primary, Pegasus is actually a trojan which once entered into the target system can open a “door” for attackers to be able to retrieve information that is on the target.
Also read: Anticipating Pegasus “spyware” attack, French president replaces cell phone
“More specifically it could be said that Pegasus is a reconnaissance device (spyware),” said the Chairman of the Indonesian Cyber Research Institute Communication and Information System Security Research Center (CISSReC).
Pratama said this was related to Pegasus, which became a hot topic of discussion after Amnesty International’s report stated that a number of presidents, prime ministers and kings were targeted by malware made by NSO, an Israeli technology company.
One of the international concerns, he said, was the information that one of the victims of Pegasus was French President Emmanuel Macron.
The report from Amnesty International and Citizen Lab follows allegations of data leaks on 50,000 potential targets of NSO’s Pegasus spy tool, including 10 prime ministers, three presidents and a king being targeted by Pegasus.
Previously, said Pratama who was also a postgraduate lecturer at the State Intelligence College (STIN), it was widely reported that Jamal Kashogi, a Saudi journalist, who died was also a target of Pegasus.
It is also explained that malware Many like this are also sold freely in the market, some even can be obtained for free. However, what makes the difference is the technique or method used so that malware to infect the victim.
“In addition, a technique to hide yourself so that it can’t be detected by antivirus or equipment security and also techniques so that they cannot betracking, “he said.
Right now, he said, it was very difficult to avoid a possible attack malware. Pegasus itself only needs the target phone number. Cell phones can be spared from Pegasus if the number used is unknown to others.
The technique used by Pegasus, according to Primary, is commonly referred to as remote exploit by using zero day attack or an attack method that exploits a security hole unknown even to the system builder himself.
“These attacks are usually very difficult to detect by security devices even though they areupdate. This is what makes Pegasus very dangerous,” said the man born in Cepu, Blora Regency, Central Java.
When looking malware Pegasus, said Pratama, simply by calling WA, the recipient’s cellphone was infected. In fact, without having to accept the call. With the same method and send file via WA can also cause hacking.
It was also stated that not only WA applications can be monitored, but all applications installed in the application smartphone the. Furthermore Pegasus can collect all phone data.
If malware successfully implanted, according to Pratama, data from mobile phones can be extracted and sent to the server. Even more terrifying, Pegasus can turn on the camera or microphone on the phone to make secret recordings.
“The principle is that Pegasus can do anything in smartphone with control of dashboard. In fact, it can send messages, calls, and recordings without the knowledge of the HP owner,” said Pratama.
Also read: Get to know Pegasus, a message spying spyware on smartphones
Reporter: D.Dj. Kliwantoro
Editor: Tasrief Tarmizi
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