- Dutch intelligence warns of Russian cyberespionage efforts
- Hackers attack Signal and WhatsApp through social engineering
- The campaign has likely already yielded confidential information
The General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), the Netherlands’ main civilian intelligence and security agency, has warned of a major ongoing cyberespionage campaign by Russian spies.
In a security advisory, AIVD said it had seen Russian state-sponsored hackers engage in a “large-scale global cyber campaign” targeting dignitaries, military personnel and public officials, including Dutch government employees.
It was said that other high-value people, such as journalists, could also be targeted.
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Intel already taken
The strategy is social engineering and the goal is to gain access to your targets’ Signal and WhatsApp accounts.
Instead of looking for software vulnerabilities, criminals try to persuade their victims to share PIN and security verification codes. The two most common approaches are to spoof the Signal Support chatbot or try to take advantage of the “linked devices” feature.
This feature allows multiple devices to be connected to the same account, allowing spies to read conversations without alerting victims in any way.
AIVD believes the campaign is already a success: “Russian hackers likely gained access to sensitive information through this campaign,” it said, although it did not detail whether they accessed it from Dutch targets or someone else entirely.
In the notice, AIVD also says that Russians are most likely interested in Signal and WhatsApp because of their good reputation.
“Signal is recognized as a trusted, independent communications channel that offers end-to-end encryption. This makes it an attractive channel for governments that want to protect their internal communications. It also makes it the ideal place for malicious actors to attempt to capture sensitive information.”
That’s why MIVD Director Vice Admiral Peter Reesink advises against using these tools to share classified, confidential or sensitive information. We would add that it would be wise not to share access to your apps with anyone, especially if you are in a sensitive position.
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