NSO Group’s Phantom Brochure

California, Crime, Hacking, Hmmn Interesting, Middle East, PSA, TechBrochure, Hacking, Israel, Khashoggi, Mexico, NSO Group, Phantom, San Diego PD, Saudi Arabia, Spyware, Westbridge

“Turn your target’s smartphone into an intelligence goldmine” That’s the pitch from NSO Groups’ Westbridge to US police departments. I’m not sure which is worse, the fact that they are able to sell this technology freely in the US or that law enforcement officials find the hacking technology “awesome.”

Outside of the States Phantom is branded as Pegasus where it has been sold to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia for millions of dollars. This is the hack the Saudi’s used to spy on Jamal Khashoggi, remember? Imagine living in a country where the Justice Department turned a blind eye to illegal phone hacking—forget about browser history, this puppy accesses everything.

THe Phantom Advantage — “The Phantom Advantage”

Okay enough about the product, I think you get it. The other thing that struck me about this brochure was, no, not the lack of any contact info or URL, no, not the WTF logo, no not the piss poor design, look at the type! You’re trying to sell me millions of dollars worth of spyware and I can barely read the copy on your brochure. The type is all crashing into itself, oh and that flying saucer logo with the halo? GTFOH! haha.

I guess like weapon dealers, in the spy trade you want a brand, just one that isn’t instantly familiar.

If you’re inclined to keep up with it, Vice has been following this story fairly closely.