The Pegasus spyware is a dangerous zero-day exploit that requires no action from users in order to compromise one of the best iPhones and expose your personal data. That means that simply receiving an infected iMessage is enough to compromise your device and allow the spyware to access almost all the data on your phone.
Fortunately though, there's now an easy way for you to tell if you’ve been targeted. For just $1, the iVerify Basics app lets you scan your iPhone on a monthly basis to check for the Pegasus spyware and analyze the results.
Since the app launched in May, iVerify has scanned roughly 2,500 devices and found seven infected ones. The company has also been surprised by who they’ve found carrying these compromised iPhones.
While the NSO Group, the company that purchases info on zero-day vulnerabilities from hackers to create its spyware, usually sells Pegasus to governments that target political opponents and journalists, the victims detected by iVerify were business leaders and people in government positions or commercial enterprises.
Although Apple does attempt to detect when iPhones have been compromised by Pegasus and alert owners about potential spyware infections, the iVerify Basics app provides smartphone owners a free version of their subscription service which they can run on their device once a month.
Meanwhile, business users are offered continuous scans of the “Mobile Threat Hunting” feature which uses iVerify’s signature-based malware detection, machine learning and heuristics to hunt down anomalies in mobile device operating systems that would indicate signs of spyware or malware infection.
Putting iVerify to the test
Using the iVerify Basics app is straightforward: the app downloads and then shows an introduction screen which explains that it will “provide insight backed by high-end security research along with the knowledge of the latest attacker techniques to help you stay secure.”
From there I tapped continue to be taken to a Ready to Scan: screen that offers options for Protection Measures or Threat Hunting: the Protection Measures option provides a scan for SMS phishing and continuous monitoring while the Threat Hunting is where the monthly scan for threats like Pegasus is contained. I ran the New Forensic Scan, which took about ten minutes. Thankfully, I didn’t have to leave the app open or the phone on while it ran.
When the scan was complete, it told me that my device was secure and that no threats had been detected. It gave me instructions on how to submit my scan results to iVerify for analysis and I provided my email address so I could be contacted if the company found anything suspicious or concerning in the results.
The entire process was easy to follow, quick and reassuring. It’s also nice that iVerify provides additional layers of security along the bottom of its app with buttons for guides (Protect Against Theft, Protect Wireless Data), Online (Use Security Software which details how to further protect your accounts by using a password manager or using two-step verification), and security news.
Due to Apple's own malware scanning restrictions, there's no iPhone equivalent for the best Android antivirus apps. However, some of the best Mac antivirus software from Intego does let you scan an iPhone or iPad for malware but the device needs to be connected to a Mac via USB. For just $1 though, the iVerify Basics app is an easy to use and much cheaper alternative.
Even if you're not a high-profile target, it could be worth downloading this app just for the peace of mind you get after a successful scan with no threats found.
