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Encrochat Investigation Finds Corrupt Cops Leaking Information To Criminals
from the put-under-the-microscope dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard:
After searching through some of the tens of millions of encrypted messages pulled from Encrochat devices, Dutch police have launched a new investigation team that will look specifically into corruption, the police force announced on Wednesday. In some cases authorities are looking to identify police who leaked information to organized criminals. The news broadens the scope of the Encrochat investigations, which have focused heavily on drug trafficking and organized crime more generally. Earlier this year, French authorities hacked into Encrochat phones en masse to retrieve message content, and then shared those communications with various other law enforcement agencies. 

"Criminal investigations into possible corruption are currently underway and there are likely to be more in the near future. In addition to investigations into drug trafficking and money laundering, investigations into corruption are also given top priority," Chief of Police Henk van Essen said in a Politie press release. 

Encrochat was an encrypted phone company that took base Android units, made physical alterations to them, and added its own software. Encrochat devices sent messages with end-to-end encryption, meaning only the intended recipient was supposed to be able to read them. The phones also had a remote wipe feature, letting users destroy communications if they lost physical control of the device, as well as a dual-boot system that let users open an innocuous looking operating system, or the second one containing their more sensitive information. The phones were particularly popular with criminals, including drug traffickers and hitmen. There are indications Encrochat may have had legitimate users too, however. Other Encrochat customers are allegedly those involved in corruption, including police themselves, the press release suggests.
Posted by BeauHD 3 hours ago
android crime software encryption cops

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8 Comments
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Funny
Clearly it wasn't end-to-end encryption 
Anonymous Coward 3 hours ago
Or the police wouldn't be reading the messages. Does anybody actually to e2e or is it all snake oil?
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Re: Clearly it wasn't end-to-end encryption (+3, Informative)
raymorris 2 hours ago
Quoting TFS:
"French authorities hacked into Encrochat phones en masse to retrieve message content"
The phones are the ends.
It can't be encrypted while you're read it, or while you're typing it.
For that, you have to rely on your phone not being hacked.
Specifically, you have to rely on the app not being cracked and you have to rely on the OS to do what it is supposed to do.
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Re: Clearly it wasn't end-to-end encryption (+1)
EETech1 a minute ago
They caught the techie that was making the phones, put the screws to him, and forced him to send out an update that disabled the encryption, and then sent the messages to a forwarding address.
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welcome to the big time (+1)
Anonymouse Cowtard 3 hours ago
You haven't really made it as a crim unless you're working with the cops. At least at that point you're only looking over one shoulder.
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Springfield Cops are on the take, (+1)
Joe_Dragon 3 hours ago
But what do expect for the money we make?
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French 4th Amendment? (+1)
brian.stinar an hour ago
I'm glad to see the French following our American example in giving authorities complete access to electronic communication, shaking it, and seeing what crimes(s) fall out. It's a good feeling to know that we have a partner in the war on terror/dictatorships/crime/rights.
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Corrupt police, you say? (+1)
hyades1 an hour ago
I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you!
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Re: Corrupt police, you say? (+1)
flyingfsck 26 minutes ago
"I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you!" - Don't Tase me Bro!
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