The future CEO of Israeli cybersecurity giant NSO, designer of spyware Pegasus, slammed the group's door on Thursday, less than two weeks after his appointment and difficulties in the United States, a source close to the group told the. AFP.
Read alsoPegasus affair: France asks for "guarantees" from Israel
On October 31, the group established in the suburb of the Israeli metropolis Tel Aviv announced a reorganization of its management in which vice-president Isaac Benbenisti was promoted to CEO and CEO Shalev Hulio became “
global president
”.
But this reform did not have time to be implemented that Shalev Hulio decided to stay in the saddle, and Isaac Benbenisti, to leave the group, a source close to the group told AFP on Thursday, confirming information from the specialized Israeli press.
According to this source, the decision of Shalev Hulio, founder of the group, to remain in office as CEO is explained by the decision of Washington last week to place the company on the American blacklist of companies threatening state security.
"
After the problems in the United States, Shalev decided to remain at the head of the group
", indicated this source requesting anonymity.
Emmanuel Macron spied on
The NSO group found itself exposed this summer after investigations published by a consortium of 17 international media outlets, revealing that its Pegasus software could have spied on the numbers of journalists, politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron, activists and business leaders from different countries.
Once installed in a mobile phone, Pegasus allows you to spy on its user, accessing their mailboxes, their data, or activating the device remotely for the purpose of capturing sound or images.
Read alsoPegasus affair: France asks for "guarantees" from Israel
Pegasus software can only be sold to states, and such sales must be approved by a special committee of the Israeli Defense Ministry responsible for approving arms sales.
"
I don't think there is another country in the world that has stricter rules on cyber warfare,
" Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said last Saturday when asked about the designation of NSO by states -Unis, first ally of the Hebrew state.