NSO Group has announced that they intend to replace their Chief Executive Officer, Shalev Hulio, and layoff 100 employees. The move comes as the Israeli cybersecurity firm has come under increasing international pressure due to reports of abuse of its spyware tools.
Yaron Shohat, the NSO Group Chief Operating Officer, will to lead the company while the executive board searches for a new CEO.
The NSO Group is most notorious as the creator of the Pegasus software, capable of hacking Apple iPhones and remotely activating the phone’s camera and microphone discretely. Reports surfaced in February, 2022 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had tested the Pegasus software—albeit not using it in any active investigation.
As a result, Apple Inc. and Meta are suing NSO Group who allege the company is misusing and violating product terms of service.
The Wall Street Journal reports that NSO Group is re-evaluating future contracts with non-NATO countries, and sells products that provide “data analysis, defense against drones, and search-and-rescue services.”
Last year, NSO Group announced that it had 60 customers in 40 countries. It considers 12 customers members of the European Union.
