This $1 phone scanner app can detect Pegasus spyware. Here’s how

Between unencrypted messaging hacks, data breaches, and AI scam calls, smartphone-centered security threats appear to be everywhere. iVerify found that one type of spyware is trying to make a comeback.

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Last week, the mobile security firm resurfaced findings from its spyware detection feature: Out of 2,500 device scans that customers submitted for inspection, seven devices had been infected by the infamous Pegasus spyware. 

The commercial spyware and phone hacking tool made headlines in 2021 when it was discovered on the personal phones of journalists and government officials. As ZDNET’s Charlie Osborne explained, Pegasus spyware can “extract handset information, harvest conversations taking place over apps including WhatsApp and Facebook, monitor email clients and browser activity, record calls, and spy through their microphone and camera” — all without a user’s knowledge. 

According to iVerify’s blog post, in May 2024, the security company launched an investigation to widen the scope of how mobile malware investigations are conducted to provide ordinary people with the ability to perform a “professional-grade security scan” in just five minutes. With iVerify’s “Mobile Threat Hunting feature,” available via the iVerify Basic app, anyone can scan almost all the data on their iPhone or Android for a one-off payment of just one dollar. 

Also: FBI, CISA urge Americans to use secure messaging apps after massive cyberattack

Pegasus was developed by the Israeli cyberintelligence firm NSO Group, which claims to largely sell the tech to governments to detect and prevent terrorism globally, tackle criminal activity, and surveil dissident behavior. However, in the last decade, NSO’s Pegasus malware has reportedly been used in at least 45 countries, infecting the phones of activists, journalists, and human rights organizations. 

Needless to say, it’s probably a good idea to check your phone. Here’s how. 

How to use iVerify to scan for spyware

IVerify’s “Mobile Threat Hunting” feature utilizes malware signature-based detection, heuristics, and machine learning to scan for anomalies in iOS and Android devices and signs of spyware infection. 

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The company offers a free version of the feature for anyone who downloads the iVerify Basic app for iOS or Android for $1, while paying iVerify customers can use the tool regularly to check devices for potential compromises. Free users can use the tool once a month. 

A few things to know: To run the Mobile “Threat Hunting” feature, users must enter an email address so the company can contact them if a scan turns up spyware. Currently, the iVerify Basic app is only available for phones and iPads. 

iVerify also offers a subscription service to enterprise companies and other organizations that scan devices continuously.