Hackers Use Signal QR Codes to Spy on Military and Political Leaders

pSecurity experts in Germany are on high alert following a wave of digital attacks aimed at highranking officials and public figures The warning comes from the countrys top security bodies the Federal Office for Information Security BSI and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution BfV They have discovered that statebacked hackers are actively trying to get into the private lives of military leaders diplomats and investigative journalists across EuropeppWhat makes this situation different is that these attackers are not using the usual viruses or complex computer bugs Instead they are using social engineering By using the regular settings and features of the Signal messaging app these spies are finding ways to watch private chats without anyone knowingppIt is easy to see why people get caught out as we are conditioned to trust officiallooking alerts Reportedly hackers are now pretending to be the Signal Security Support team they frequently use a ChatBot to send a direct message claiming there has been a major security breach or a leak of private data To make people act quickly they tell the user they must verify their account immediately or they will lose everythingppIf a person falls for this the hackers ask for a sixdigit Security PIN or a code sent via SMS After securing this code they can register that phone number on their own device This effectively locks the real owner out of their account allowing the hackers to send messages as if they were that person which could even be used to spread disinformation in group chatsppThe second method is even harder to spot because the victim can still use their account as normal In this case an attacker contacts the target with a believable story and asks them to scan a QR code While the user might think they are just logging into a document or a group they are actually linking the attackers device such as a tablet or a laptop to their own account This gives the spy a look at the last 45 days of chat history and lets them read every new message as it arrivesppTo stay safe security experts suggest ignoring any messages from support as real Signal staff will never message you directly for a PIN or code You should also check the Linked Devices section in your settings and delete any unrecognised gadgets immediately Lastly turning on a Registration Lock ensures that even if someone gets your SMS code they cannot take over your account without your secret PINppYour email address will not be published Required fields are marked ppComment ppName ppEmail ppWebsite pp

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