European law enforcement agencies have taken down yet another encrypted messaging service mainly used by criminals. The Matrix encrypted messaging service was an invite-only service which was also marketed under the names Mactrix, Totalsec, X-quantum, or Q-safe.
Dutch and French authorities started an investigation when the service was found on the phone of a criminal convicted for the murder of Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries in 2021. The investigators soon found Matrix was technically more complex than previous platforms such as Sky ECC and EncroChat, which were earlier subjects of law enforcement eavesdropping.
Read more…
Source: Malwarebytes Labs
Related:
- One of the FBI’s most wanted hackers is trolling the U.S. government
September 18, 2023
Earlier this year, the U.S. government indicted Russian hacker Mikhail Matveev, also known by his online monikers “Wazawaka” and “Boriselcin,” accusing him of being “a prolific ransomware affiliate” who carried out “significant attacks” against companies and critical infrastructure in the U.S. and elsewhere. The feds also accused him of being a “central figure” in the development ...
- UK: Greater Manchester Police officers’ details hacked in cyber attack
September 14, 2023
Police officers’ personal details have been hacked after a company was targeted in a cyber attack. The firm in Stockport, which makes ID cards, holds information on various UK organisations including some of the staff employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP). The force confirmed it was aware of the ransomware attack. The hack means thousands of ...
- 11 alleged Conti criminals hit with UK and US sanctions
September 8, 2023
UK and US authorities have issued sanctions on 11 individuals who are allegedly part of a cybercriminal gang that use Trickbot and Conti malware. The 11 individuals have been hit with asset freezes and travel bans in a coordinated effort to counter the threat of ransomware, according to UK officials. The country’s National Crime Agency (NCA) ...
- PSNI data breach: Two men released after Terrorism Act arrests
September 3, 2023
Two men have been released after being arrested by detectives investigating a major data breach by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The data was accidentally shared in August and included the surname and initials of 10,000 PSNI employees. The men, aged 21 and 22, were arrested under the Terrorism Act after a search in ...
- US charges crypto founders over alleged support for North Korean hackers
August 24, 2023
The United States has charged two cofounders of the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash with money laundering and other crimes a year after authorities banned the Russian-founded platform over its alleged support of North Korean hackers. Roman Semenov and Roman Storm have been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations, and conspiracy ...
- INTERPOL: 14 arrests, thousands of illicit cyber networks disrupted in Africa operation
August 18, 2023
DAR ES SALAM, Tanzania – INTERPOL and AFRIPOL have coordinated an operation across 25 African countries that enabled investigators to arrest 14 suspected cybercriminals and identify 20,674 suspicious cyber networks, highlighting the surge in digital insecurity and cyber threats in the region. The networks identified were linked to financial losses of more than USD 40 ...
