The Trump administration reduced the importance of security failure, describing it as “a unique failure in two months.”
Signal jumped, a reporting application for public access to the scene after that A journalist has been added to a group chat Among the American national security officials while coordinating the plans To attack Hatti’s goals in Yemen. President Donald Trump has put forward the importance of nomination by qualifying him as “technical failure”, while the director of national intelligence, Tolsi Gabbard, states that no secret information has been shared Intelligence
editor From the “Atlantic Ocean”, Jeffrey Goldberg, the journalist inadvertently to chat, Other messages have been published since then That reveals sensitive information that has been leaked. In those messages, Defense Minister, Higseth HouseIt displays detailed plans to attack Hatti’s goals in Yemen, including the final dates and weapons used.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz announced that he assumes “all responsibility” For a meeting. According to the screenshots presented by “The Atlantic”, Waltz was the user who added Goldberg to chat.
A disaster asked questions about the cause of A. Commercial application to discuss information maybe CompromiseAnd how a journalist was added to the chat, apparently.
What is the sign?
The reference is a messaging application It is famous for being one of the safest in the market. It can be used for direct messages, group chats, audio and video calls. It is owned by a non -profit group, Foundation Foundation, which says that Its mission is to “allow global communication Safe through open source privacy technology. “
With an estimate 70 million users Throughout the world in 2024, according to the non -profit organization, it is not used as competitors like WhatsApp E iMessage de Apple. User accounts are recorded and managed by the user’s mobile phone numberThe only personal truth is to store the sign.
This means that by adding members To a group chat, where Michael Waltz or one of his team members was supposed to add to Goldberg, The list of mobile devices calls From users with an active signal account. It is assumed that in the case of the Palls, this list could have guaranteed Goldberg, although Waltz told “Fox News” on Wednesday: “I can tell you 100 % that I do not know this type.”
How safe is it safe?
Signal uses Final coding form (E2e) is more powerful than its competitors. The encryption means this, in principle, Any message Send from one user to another Informed Between third parties, not even by the same platform. In short, only the sender and recipient of the message have the key to decode it.
signalCrypting is not an option and It has been activated shortening. This is different from cableFor example, as E2e is not enabled in many of the most popular jobs for the platform. Signal encryption protocol It is also an open source, which means that researchers and cyber security experts can check the code to ensure the most demanding standards.
“The sign is the best thing you can get as a journalist or activist,” he said. “It is clear that one of the best. But the weakest point is the device itself, “Predel added.
“We can assume that national countries have the ability to Piraate mobile devices Thus, access to those connections. That is why government officials usually have custom devices that must be used. “
Can group chat be hacked?
Preneel also described the signal disaster He added that US officials “a great decision. These people should have known that they should use uncomfortable devices.” According to the “CBS News” analysis, it is likely to be Trump envoy to Ukraine and the Middle EastSteve Whittov, was in Moscow when it was included in the group chat.
Wittouf traveled to Russia on March 13 To meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of the motivation for a high fire agreement in Ukraine. According to the investigation of CBS, it was added to the chat about 12 hours after landing in Moscow.
“Euronews” asked the photographer Bart Brenil’s encryption whether it was the fact that Wittov in Russia could increase the risk of security. “There is definitely more risks in RussiaBecause the government controls the network. It is well known that if you travel there, your device can be piracy over the network. “
Preneel added that there is another “unable but impossible” method that the foreign state can use to reach these connections is Lower electromagnetic radiation To capture the device signals through the antenna. This allows you to pick up all the activity of the device screen mainly.
propagandaWhy is it a popular sign and used by governments?
The application of the correspondence is common among journalists. Journalists from “Eurono”, for example, use it to reduce security risks when they communicate with their sources. It is also preferable by dissidents who want to avoid government espionage. At the beginning of 2020, European Commission He advised his employees to do so It will start using the signal As part of a security campaign.
In a published report last yearThe Security Agency has urged the USA public officials to change to the application of encrypted communications applications, such as reference. The Associated Press recently discovered that more than 1,100 officials from 50 states They use signal.
But earlier this month, the Pentagon warned its employees against using the correspondence application even to share unlimited information, according to a memo “NPR” sees it. “Exposure has been identified in the application of signal messages,” says the note, which was located on March 18, and adds that “Russian professional computer hackers use” devices associated “with spying encrypted conversations.
The Ministry of Defense 2023 (DOD) is also classified as an “undudger” application Unauthorized “To access, transfer or process non -general information from DOD.”
propagandaAre US officials violated the public registry law?
Another concern is whether it is High American officials Participate in the chat from Signal, who violated the American laws on maintaining public records. Collective chatAccording to Goldberg’s certificate, he used the “disappearance of messages” to refer to erasing some messages a week after sending them.
“EURONEWS” told that, Unlike WhatsAppfor This allows users to recover deleted messages if they choose a backup system, the messages that disappear in the signal cannot be recovered. Former security official in The United States government, unknown He deceives “wealth”He said that the type of communication in the chat should have been preserved as part of US registration laws.
