Israeli spyware company NSO Group said today (August 21) it’s Chief Operating Officer Yaron Shohat will take over as the firm’s CEO in place of Shalev Hulio.

“NSO Group announced today the company will reorganise and CEO Shalev Hulio will step down. Mr Yaron Shohat, the company’s current COO, will take the lead on the company and will manage the reorganisation process,” the company said.

NSO’s best-known offering is a spyware product called Pegasus, which, when deployed to a target’s mobile phone, scoops information from the device, even if encrypted.

ISRAELI SPYWARE CONCERNS IN JAMAICA

In Jamaica, the procurement of such technology became a human rights concerns for the Opposition People’s National Party after Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ 2017 visit to Israel.

The Opposition at the time questioned whether Holness had, during discussions on his trip, “engaged intelligence gathering capabilities that are not in keeping with legislative and constitutional provisions”.

Last year the Government, while denying it was utilising such spyware, acknowledged that an undisclosed Israeli firm in 2020 won a contract to provide cybersecurity equipment to the Jamaican state.