Israeli foreign minister promises closer look at NSO

By JOSEF FEDERMAN
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister has played down criticism of the country’s regulation of the cyberespionage firm NSO Group. But he vowed Wednesday to step up efforts to ensure the company’s controversial spyware doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Speaking to foreign journalists, Yair Lapid said the government has only limited control over how defense exports are used by customers. Yet he said that Israel is committed to enforcing and strengthening safeguards to prevent abuse of all types of weapons. NSO has been criticized over reports that its flagship spyware product, Pegasus, has been misused by governments to spy on dissidents, journalists, human rights workers and possibly even heads of state.