President Emmanuel Macron, but also about fifteen Minister of the Philippe government were potentially targeted by PEGASUS spy software on behalf of Morocco.

Eight golden rules

When a minister and his office take up their duties, they are systematically briefed by a senior specialized official.The first rules enacted are as follows: do not leave your phone in a hotel room and never connect it to the USB port of a taxi.A encrypted Samsung phone is given to the new minister.This is this number that must be used for confidential exchanges within the government.

A guide to good practices is given to ministers and their teams.""Eight golden rules"" are registered there: ""strictly separate your personal uses from those of a professional nature"", ""do not connect your professional equipment on uncontrolled networks such as public Wi-Fi"" or ""ConsiderAny gift (USB key, free wi-fi, etc..) as trapped and place any sensitive document or material in a safe place "".

The guide takes for example different scenarios: ""A ministerial agent is robbed of his personal computer in the trunk of his car.When questioned, he reported to the authorities that he stored a repertoire containing all of his interministerial contacts.The next day, the press leak in the press and was quickly taken up on social networks.""Another scenario imagines a reception"" by its foreign counterpart for an interview in an embassy.An advisor decides to keep his phone on him, ignoring the instructions requiring the deposit of his equipment to the security teams.Compromise, the telephone allowed a group with dubious interests to follow this exchange live.""

Teorem, the encrypted phone very little used

Ce guide, publié en 2017, alerte bien sur la possibilité d’être espionné : ""Vos communications peuvent être écoutées, ne communiquez pas d’information confidentielle à partir de votre téléphone mobile."" Par exemple, pour les appels téléphoniques classifiées, un ministre ou son conseiller peut demander ""un téléphone interministériel sécurisé mobile Teorem"".This ultra -secure valve phone is provided to the highest representatives of the State.Communications are encrypted.It is designed by Thales, complicated to use, there is no application or access to social networks.In 2017, 3,325 Teorem were used in France, according to the ANSSI, the agency responsible for digital security of the state.

But many ministers complain about too heavy, too slow technology.They prefer, except for their emails or their agenda, continue on the applications of their own smartphones. ""Personne n'arrive à se passer de son téléphone, car on n'est pas ministre à vie !"" confie un membre du gouvernement, pourtant très exposé.Certain rules are scrupulously respected, no telephone is tolerated within the premises of a Council of Ministers or a Defense Council.

L’affaire Pegasus révèle ""la vulnérabilité de nos systèmes et de nos démocraties"", estime un ministre de premier plan, inquiet pour la campagne présidentielle.For Matignon, Pegasus is a concrete example of the usefulness of a specialized agency, which will be created in September and will eventually mobilize 60 people, to track down information from the foreigner from abroad.