December 13, 2024 at 01:17PM Russian telecom authority Roskomnadzor has blocked the Viber app for violating local laws, citing concerns over terrorism, drug sales, and illegal content. This follows a court ruling and ongoing restrictions on various foreign messaging apps. Viber had over 1 billion downloads on Android before the ban. ### Meeting Takeaways 1. … Read more
December 4, 2024 at 11:47AM German authorities announced the takedown of Crimenetwork, the largest German-speaking illegal online marketplace, which traded illicit goods and cryptocurrencies. An alleged administrator was arrested, and significant assets were seized. This coincided with Europol’s shutdown of Matrix, an encrypted messaging service used by criminals. ### Meeting Takeaways: 1. **Takedown of Crimenetwork**: … Read more
December 4, 2024 at 07:42AM Europol announced the takedown of the criminal messaging service MATRIX, following a joint operation with French and Dutch authorities. Over 2.3 million messages linked to serious crimes were intercepted. Concurrently, Germany’s BKA shut down the Crimenetwork marketplace, while South Korea arrested six for adding DDoS capabilities to satellite receivers. ### … Read more
December 4, 2024 at 05:49AM Law enforcement, led by Europol, dismantled the encrypted messaging service Matrix, previously used by criminals. After spying for three months and intercepting 2.3 million messages, police arrested several suspects in France, Spain, and Lithuania. Matrix had around 8,000 global users involved in criminal activities like drug trafficking and money laundering. … Read more
December 4, 2024 at 03:40AM French and Dutch police dismantled the Matrix chat app, designed for secure criminal communication, following its discovery during a murder investigation. A joint task force compromised the app, accessing 2.3 million messages across 40 servers, revealing discussions on illicit activities. Investigations continue with multiple arrests anticipated. **Meeting Notes Takeaways:** 1. … Read more
December 3, 2024 at 10:31AM Operation Passionflower has successfully dismantled MATRIX, an encrypted messaging platform for cybercriminals, following a major investigation across Europe. Authorities seized 40 servers, encrypted phones, and cash, arresting five suspects. Police monitored 2.3 million messages over three months, aiding further investigations into criminal activities linked to the platform. ### Meeting Takeaways … Read more
September 18, 2024 at 08:21AM Australian national Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, was named as the alleged mastermind behind the Ghost platform. The platform, similar to EncroChat, was used by various criminals for illegal activities. The arrest was part of a global effort involving law enforcement agencies from nine territories. The operation aimed to dismantle … Read more
September 16, 2024 at 08:19AM Cybercriminal Remy Ra St Felix and his gang were sentenced for a string of violent cryptocurrency robberies in the US. St Felix received a 47-year prison term and five years supervised release and was ordered to pay over $524 million in restitution. The gang targeted victims, held them at gunpoint, … Read more
August 9, 2024 at 03:14PM Russia’s watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has restricted access to Signal encrypted messaging service, citing violations of anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws. Signal acknowledged some countries block its services and advised users to enable censorship circumvention. Russia has also banned other private messaging apps and VPN products, and recently blocked access to YouTube. Signal … Read more
February 20, 2024 at 02:15PM Signal has launched a beta rollout offering custom usernames to enhance privacy and communication. Users can create usernames to connect with others, without revealing their phone numbers. The feature allows for greater control over privacy settings and facilitates quick chat initiation through unique links or QR codes. This update aims … Read more