Ddos 
The notorious Israeli commercial spyware developer NSO Group has confirmed that it has been acquired by a U.S.-based investment firm. Although NSO did not disclose the exact purchase price, it stated that the deal was worth “tens of millions of dollars,” and that the American firm has now gained full control of the company.
The NSO Group, known for creating the infamous Pegasus spyware, has been linked to numerous surveillance operations over the past several years. As a commercial-grade espionage tool, Pegasus has been sold to government and private entities worldwide to target individuals and organizations, often enabling full device surveillance through so-called “zero-click” exploits—such as the iMessage vulnerability used to infect multiple iOS devices.
Notably, the NSO Group has been blacklisted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, after Pegasus was used by unknown operators to infiltrate the phones of American diplomats stationed in Africa. Several NSO executives were also personally sanctioned as part of the same action.
For years, the company has claimed that it refrains from targeting users with U.S.-based phone numbers (+1), ostensibly to avoid violating American sanctions. However, the infection of American diplomatic devices suggests that NSO’s internal compliance mechanisms were either ineffective or deliberately ignored.
The acquisition is reportedly led by a consortium headed by Hollywood producer Robert Simonds, though the full list of investors and the precise terms remain undisclosed. As part of the agreement, NSO’s co-founder and executive chairman will depart from the company.
Following the takeover, NSO’s headquarters and core operations will remain in Israel, continuing under Israeli government oversight. Yet, given the company’s history, such regulatory supervision is expected to be largely symbolic—Pegasus is likely to remain available to select clients worldwide.
The acquisition has raised questions about how a U.S.-sanctioned company could be purchased by an American entity. Sources suggest the move may be connected to efforts by the Trump-aligned lobbying firms that have been working to lift NSO’s sanctions since at least May 2025. Although no formal confirmation has been issued, the deal underscores the company’s long-standing pursuit to rehabilitate its image and re-enter Western markets under new ownership.
Related Posts:
- U.S. State Department employees’ iPhones were hacked by NSO spyware
- Pegasus Spyware: Court Finds NSO Group Liable for 1,400 Infections
- NSO Group Ordered to Pay WhatsApp $167M for Pegasus Spyware Attack
- OpenAI’s $100 Billion Compute Plan to Power the Future of AI
- NSO Group Exploits iOS 15 and iOS 16 with Zero-Click Attacks on Civil Society Targets
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