Would you pay 99 cents to make sure your iOS or Android device isn’t infected with Pegasus spyware?

According to reports, there is a particular iMessage that, when received by a Pegasus-infected iPhone, compromises the security of that particular device, even if the user has never opened or interacted with the iMessage. By “compromised” we mean that the attacker can access the user’s personal information. NSO Group says it only sells Pegasus to governments to help fight crime and terrorism. But it was used by certain governments as spyware installed on certain people’s phones.

While most Pegasus targets are high-profile journalists, political dissidents, global corporate executives and lawyers, mobile device security firm iVerify wondered if it could create a scan that any smartphone user could use and ensure in five minutes are free to be infected by Pegasus. In May, iVerify developed the Mobile Threat Hunting feature for the iVerify app and deployed it on 2,500 self-scanned devices across its user base.

The test discovered seven Pegasus infections among the 2,500 phones. AS iVerify said: “We uncovered seven Pegasus infections – a number that may seem small, but represents a major red flag in the world of mobile security.”

The iVerify app can determine if your phone has been infected with Pegasus. | Image source: Apple

You may feel like you don’t meet the criteria of a typical Pegasus target. But it definitely has to be worth 99 cents to be able to install the app and send a diagnostic utility file to iVerify. Within a few hours you will receive an analysis informing you whether your phone has been infected with Pegasus. Anyone who pays 99 cents to install the app can use the mobile threat hunting tool once a month for free.