NSO Group has been recently embroiled in a massive scandal after an international media investigation revealed that its Pegasus spyware, which is used by the Israeli authorities to track terrorists, was also used to spy on the phones of about 50,000 targets, including politicians, businessmen, activists, journalists and opposition figures around the world.
"NSO Group is alarmed by this decision, given that our technologies align with the interests and policies of US national security, and aid combating terrorism and crime," the company was quoted as saying by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.
Earlier in the day, the US Department of Commerce added four foreign companies to the list of national security risks. These include Israel's NSO Group and Candiru, which, according to the US government, "developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used these tools to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers."
The other two, Russia's Positive Technologies and Singapore's Computer Security Initiative Consultancy PTE. LTD., have allegedly provided "cyber tools used to gain unauthorized access to information systems, threatening the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide," the US Department of Commerce said.
The companies on the list are subject to export restrictions and US citizens and businesses are prohibited from supplying them with any resources or services.