OREANDA-NEWS. Apple has sued Israeli software developer NSO Group and its parent company, which it holds responsible for spying on Apple customers, according to the company's website.

Earlier, several media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Guardian and Haaretz, investigated and found that NSO Group's spyware was used to hack phones and spy on politicians, lawyers and journalists.

"To prevent further abuse and harm to its users, Apple is also seeking a permanent ban on NSO Group from using any Apple software, services or devices,"- the release said. The company also sought damages "for egregious violations of US federal and state law" by NSO Group.

The lawsuit includes new information on how NSO Group introduced Pegasus spyware into users' gadgets. It also includes new information about ForcedEntry, a vulnerability that the company used to infect devices.

According to an Apple report, NSO Group and its customers were able to access a user's microphone, camera, and other personal data as a result of the attack on their smartphone. In order to send malicious data to the device, Apple IDs were created. This allowed Pegasus to be installed on a victim's smartphone without their knowledge, Apple claimed, and also circumvented hacking servers.

The hacking of phones using software developed by NSO Group came to light in July, following a media investigation. They reported that Pegasus was being made available for use exclusively by governments or government agencies. Journalists identified the owners of 1,000 phone numbers being monitored, who lived in more than 50 countries. Politicians, journalists, including opposition figures and lawyers were among the targets.