Photo: Alen Simonian's Phone Targeted by Malware Attempt, Media Expert Points to Azerbaijan

Apple has sent messages to some of its subscribers in Armenia informing them that their phones may have been infected by the "Pegasus" spyware. This was reported by media expert Samvel Martirosyan.

According to him, the infection occurred last autumn, but the notifications have only just been sent out. “It is highly likely that this was done by Azerbaijani special services in order to collect data for their plans against Artsakh,” wrote the expert.

In response to Martirosyan's post, National Assembly President Alen Simonian shared a screenshot indicating that he too had received a notification from Apple. The message stated that an attempt had been made to hack into his phone.

Samvel Martirosyan later wrote: “So, quite a few people in Armenia have received letters from Apple at night indicating that they are potential victims of state-sponsored hackers. What does this mean and what should be done?”

1. This speaks to infection by the Pegasus spyware or an attempted infection.
2. This does not mean that Pegasus is currently on the phone, but pertains to an attack that occurred last autumn.
3. It is highly likely that this is Azerbaijan’s work. I conclude this from the victims' list and the fact that Azerbaijan has been proven to be an active user. Some of our international organizational partners share the same opinion. There is no clear evidence, and there is unlikely to be any, as the infections are carried out by an Israeli organization at the request of the client, which means the trails are cut off.
4. What to do next? See the details in the video. If you want your phone to be examined to determine if there was an infection, and when it occurred, please contact us at Cyberhub.am.”