Paragon is an Israeli-founded surveillance technology company established in 2019, specializing in the development and sale of advanced spyware, most notably its flagship product, Graphite. The company claims to market its tools exclusively to government and law enforcement agencies for lawful interception purposes. Paragon has received backing from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and was acquired by the U.S.-based private equity firm AE Industrial Partners in December 2024, in a deal reportedly valued at no less than $500 million.
Graphite is designed to covertly compromise mobile devices—including both iPhones and Android phones—and extract sensitive data, including from encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp. The spyware is known for its stealth and sophistication, employing so-called “zero-click” exploits that require no user interaction, similar to the infamous Pegasus spyware from NSO Group.