Pegasus more than a myth

 Pegasus has taken on a new meaning.

Pegasus is a mythical winged divine horse, and one of the most recognized creatures in Greek mythology. Usually depicted as pure white, Pegasus is the offspring of the Olympian god Poseidon. He was foaled by the Gorgon Medusa upon her death, when the hero Perseus decapitated her.

The color black often represents evil.

The new Pegasus spyware is evil. Created by NSO Group, an Israeli technology firm, its presence is hard to detect on mobile phones running most versions of iOS and Android. Allegedly it is looking for terrorists, but French president Macron is reported to be one of its victims. I doubt that he is heading a terrorist cell.

I'm suspicious of surveillance. No matter that it was a good cause, when we crossed the French-Swiss border, we were barely home 20 minutes when there was a message on our mobiles that we had to quarantine against the pandemic. I may sound paranoid, but I've always thought that Alexa could possibly observe my comings and goings, so much that I wouldn't have one in the house.

I'm probably one of the few people that hate their mobile phone. I know it is necessary to accomplish many modern day chores. I try and think of it as a camera, which reduces my desire to smash it every time it rings. I don't want to be in touch with the world 24/7 and when I do, I want it to be by my choice not some unknown entity. 

There is something frightening about Pegasus and its ability to totally destroy any sense of privacy secretly, although I doubt that I'm interesting enough to be targeted.