New Russian spy tools allow services to track activity on three popular encrypted messengers. Users of the WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal applications cannot feel safe because agents can know their location or view files.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has received new spy tools. With advanced software, officers can track users of applications such as WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, which are often chosen for their encryption and high levels of privacy.
Russia tracks WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram users
After the attack on Ukrainian territory, Russia’s demand for spyware skyrocketed. The country has rapidly developed a pool of technology companies providing cutting-edge new tools for government intelligence. Many of them belong to the Citadel group, a company associated with the oligarch Alisher Usmanov, writes The New York Times.
Documents discovered by journalists from the providers of these solutions - companies such as MFI Soft, Vas Expert or Proteus - point to a new danger. Russian spyware is supposed to break the security of popular encrypted messengers, including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
The information indicates that agents cannot read certain messages, but they can extract some useful data from the application. They can identify anonymous users of a conversation, track the location of their smartphones, or track the time and duration of conversations. They can also hack into their accounts and view files sent from an account without an account. Another program is used to steal passwords entered on unencrypted websites.
Putin is watching his citizens
According to journalists, at present, these tools are supposed to be used mainly to track Russian citizens. As a result, the state apparatus can control who is against the war in Ukraine or the rule of Vladimir Putin.
“People are getting paranoid. If you are chatting with someone in Russia, you can never be sure that the connection is secure. […] Previously, this only applied to activists. Now they’ve expanded [monitoring] against everyone who is against the war,” says Russian human rights activist Alena Popova.
As cybersecurity experts point out, this may just be the beginning. Nothing prevents you from using advanced hacking tools outside of Russia. At the same time, local companies are already planning to export their tools to other countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America.
Source: Wprost
I am George Brown, author at Daily News Hack. I mostly cover economy news and I have been doing this for quite some time now. I have a lot of experience in this field and I’m always looking for new opportunities to learn more.
