How to Detect Pegasus Spyware on Android

The Pegasus spyware is one of the strongest spyware to date. Many phones and devices have contracted spyware, which in turn has given surveillance access to unknown and unwanted people around the world. The danger of the spyware may not rely on numbers as the Pegasus spyware doesn’t come around to mass numbers of infections. However, what it lacks in numbers makes up for its success as it explicitly targets individuals that can range from everyday citizens to prominent political figures.

In reality, if you own any mobile device, you are prone to receiving and contracting infections of Pegasus spyware. No matter what model and brand of smartphone you have, Pegasus targets the lowest system levels of your device. Suppose you accidentally download and run an unknown malware for unwarranted data collection.  

You may end up giving away your personal information and allowing everyday surveillance using phone features such as camera and voice record. Basic, simple methods can help you mitigate the attacks of this cyber threat by doing the first step first: knowing how to detect Pegasus spyware. 

What is Pegasus spyware? 

The Pegasus spyware is malware that collects data without the authorization and consent of the device owner. The data collection includes reading text messages, storing contact information, identifying locations, among other pertinent data you want to protect. Moreover, the Pegasus spyware is powerful enough to turn your Android device into a surveillance device.

The malware can control your camera, voice recording, messaging applications like WhatsApp, and other basic phone features to record and store data without your consent. 

The Pegasus spyware is essentially a tool that tracks everything you do upon device infection. The origins of the Pegasus spyware trace back to the Israeli company called NSO. The malware more frequently coordinates attacks in more high-profile cyber targets and quickly creeps into the lower-level systems of the code.

The Pegasus spyware can work without detection and send all information to unwanted third parties. 

Detecting the Pegasus spyware on Android devices 

Staying responsible with your online presence and information is one of your biggest responsibilities as a device owner. There’s no reason not to protect yourself if you don’t want to compromise your everyday life. Now more than ever, many things in your real-life coincide with your virtual presence. Imagine if other people have access to your credit card numbers and stored passwords or credentials.  

The issue hits closer to home if you consider basic information as easy access for strangers to change their identity using yours. From detecting your current location to taking screenshots of your android phone home screen, the Pegasus spyware may be the eyes and ears that can give you away at any moment. It’s best to do some preventive measures before worse scenarios come to mind. Here are some ways for you to detect spyware on your Android device: 

Use Amnesty International’s software MVT 

Amnesty International developed a tool, MVT or Mobile Verification Toolkit, to combat these types of cyber-attacks. The toolkit is open-source software; however, it works as a command-line tool requiring some coding knowledge. The MVT is available on GitHub and free to download for all Android users. What exactly does MVT do, and how does it help you as an Android user deal with potential Pegasus spyware? 

The MVT is a toolkit that facilitates forensic analysis of your device. If you run MVT on an Android device, it traces around data transfer logs that detect early stages of device infection. For Android devices, the MVT can facilitate the following:

1. Retrieval of stored information on installed applications
2. Retrieval of diagnostic information on the Android device
3. Perform a scan on malicious indicators in the device
4. Create the necessary timelines to trace back the beginning of potential infection

Conclusion 

Among the many options of Android users to detect the presence of Pegasus spyware, the MVT serves as one of the most accessible ways to do it. As a response to the rising threat of Pegasus spyware, stay vigilant against these forms of cyber security attacks. Governing agencies and bodies regularly issue indications and public warnings about the power of Pegasus spyware. The Pegasus spyware is as powerful as some of the most high-end and elite espionage groups.