Pegasus Project: Leaked database contains 300 Indian phone numbers

Online news platform The Wire reported on Sunday, a leaked database of thousands of phone numbers, believed to have been listed by several government consumers of an Israeli surveillance technologies firm, contains more than 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers, such as these made use of by ministers, opposition leaders, journalists, the legal neighborhood, businessmen, government officials, scientists, rights activists and other individuals. The web-site mentioned the findings followed an investigation by The Wire and 16 media partners.

The web-site mentioned forensic tests performed as element of this project on a tiny cross-section of phones related with these numbers revealed clear indicators of targeting by Pegasus spyware in 37 phones, of which 10 are Indian. Without subjecting a phone to this technical evaluation, it is not attainable to conclusively state whether or not it witnessed an attack try or was effectively compromised, The Wire reported.

The Indian Telegraph Act and Information Technology Act prescribe procedures that have to be followed for lawful interception. Different nations have various laws but the use of hacking to provide surveillance spyware in India by any person, private or official, is an offence below the IT Act.

The Wire observed it would be revealing the names it has been capable to confirm below various categories, in a step by step style with its partners more than the next handful of days. The numbers of these in the database contain more than 40 journalists, 3 big opposition figures, one constitutional authority, two serving ministers in the Narendra Modi government, present and former heads and officials of safety organisations and scores of businesspersons.

The Wire observed that the presence of a quantity in the database indicates its most likely choice as a target for surveillance but whether or not a phone was truly hacked and infected can only be established by way of forensic examination of the device – more very easily completed if the instrument in query is an iPhone.

Among the numbers in the Pegasus Project database is one that was registered in the name of a sitting Supreme Court judge. However, The Wire observed it has not been capable to confirm whether or not the quantity, which the judge gave up prior to it was added to the list, was nonetheless becoming made use of by him for WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging apps when the quantity was chosen. The Wire mentioned till such time as it was capable to establish the number’s actual user for the duration of the period in query, it was withholding the name of the judge.

In a response to detailed concerns sent by Pegasus Project partners to the Prime Ministers’ Office earlier this week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology mentioned that “India is a robust democracy that is committed to ensuring the right to privacy to all its citizens as a fundamental right” and that the “allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people has no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever.”

Without especially denying that Pegasus is becoming made use of by the government, the MEITY response mentioned, “Each case of interception, monitoring, and decryption is approved by the competent authority… The procedure therefore ensures that any interception, monitoring or decryption of any information through any computer resource is done as per due process of law.”

Originally appeared on: TheSpuzz