NSO Group Technologies (NSO standing for Niv, Shalev and Omri, names of company's founders) is an Israeli technology firm known for its Pegasus spyware enabling the remote surveillance of smartphones. It was founded in 2010 by Niv Carmi, Omri Lavie, and Shalev Hulio.[2][3][4] It reportedly employed almost 500 people as of 2017, and is based in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv.[1][5][6]
Annual revenues were said to be around $40 million in 2013 and $150 million in 2015.[2][7] In June 2017, the company was put up for sale for $1 billion by Francisco Partners Management.[5] Founders Lavie and Hulio, partnering with European private equity fund Novalpina Capital, purchased a majority stake in NSO in February 2019.[8]
NSO claims that it provides "authorized governments with technology that helps them combat terror and crime".[9] According to several reports, software created by NSO Group was used in targeted attacks against human rights activists and journalists in various countries[10][11][12], was used in state espionage against Pakistan[13], and played a role in the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Kashoggi.[14] In October 2019, instant messaging company WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook sued NSO under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).
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