31 - Pegasus Spyware

We know your location, see your pictures, listen in on your microphone, and even get into your encrypted chat.  But we only use that for good! (Okay, except for that one time...) Are we fighting fire with fire or becoming the very thing we defend against? Israeli based cyber intelligence company NSO Group is a billion-dollar business that helps law enforcement agencies and governments learn everything about innocent and guilty citizens alike in the name of protecting the virtuous. Cyber weapons like Pegasus represent a moral tradeoff.  The intended use is to curb human trafficking or intervene before violent crimes are committed, but it comes at the cost of invading the privacy of good-doing citizens.  We're quick to accept this risk when weapons are wielded by the armed forces that defend countries, but the NSO Group is motivated by profits as much as any other private company. What we called spyware in the 90s has become the way modern advertising works, and that lets platform holders more finely target the spaghetti they throw at the wall.  Now it's angel hair pasta, and everything is sticking. The ethics of doing business today are directly tied to the ethics of cybersecurity. As Nate discusses in the episode, he often finds himself caught between the creative ambition of an artist and catering to what will sell. To pay the bills, Nate has to sacrifice a bit of creative freedom. When companies profit from circumventing the security systems that keep us safe, it's a much greater sacrifice. This is not a new challenge, but privacy has entered a new frontier of technological reliance. In this episode, we discuss zero day vulnerabilities, Pegasus Spyware, NSO Group, Edward Snowden, Spysweeper, Privacy concerns, mobile security, law enforcement, wardriving, and WIFI security. Use our contact form or tweet us @sittadelpodcast to start the conversation on how Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions can play a role in protecting your information (and if you're a business, there's a good chance you're already paying for one you've never set up).