Telegram Disputes Russia's Claim Its Encryption Was Compromised (business-standard.com)
- Reference: 0180844094
- News link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/26/02/22/2332229/telegram-disputes-russias-claim-its-encryption-was-compromised
- Source link: https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/russia-s-fsb-warns-ukraine-can-access-front-line-data-via-telegram-126022100343_1.html
> Russia's communications watchdog limited access to Telegram — a popular messaging app owned by Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov — over a week ago for failing to comply with Russian laws requiring personal data to be stored locally. Voice and video calls were blocked via Telegram in August. The pressure is the latest move in a long-running campaign to promote what the Kremlin calls a sovereign internet that's led to blocks on YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp... Foreign intelligence services are able to see Russia's military messages in Telegram too, Russia's Minister for digital development, Maksut Shadaev, said on Wednesday, although he added that Russia will not block access to Telegram for troops for now.
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> Telegram responded at the time that no breaches of the app's encryption have ever been found. "The Russian government's allegation that our encryption has been compromised is a deliberate fabrication intended to justify outlawing Telegram and forcing citizens onto a state-controlled messaging platform engineered for mass surveillance and censorship," it said in an emailed response.
[1] https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/russia-s-fsb-warns-ukraine-can-access-front-line-data-via-telegram-126022100343_1.html
There still is SigInt (Score:2)
The mere fact that data gets transferred over phones is already a problem in a war.
Do I think Telegram encryption is compromised? No. It is pretty much impossible to break competently done encryption today. And I highly doubt they placed backdoors. Even a possibility for a NoBus backdoor would have been identified and been a big deal.
Re: (Score:3)
> It is pretty much impossible to break competently done encryption today.
let's say we don't know how to do that ... yet. but we do know about several ways to compromise phones. and we tacitly know there are ways we still don't know. if you have access to the app encryption might not be a problem.
> And I highly doubt they placed backdoors.
it may not need a backdoor. insider knowledge and some 0-day to get in might go a long way. both exist.
This proves the Russians haven't cracked it (Score:2)
They can't break it, and Ukranian troops are using it.
So - discredit Telegram. Obvious.
Russia - want to convince us? SHOW US A DECRYPT. If your claim is true this should be easy.
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, the ruzzkie problem with telegram is the Russian content on tg and not the way Ukrainians use it.
There are tens of thousands Russian channels with large followings, many of them local, all run by Russians in Russian. They are quite effectively challenging the government propaganda that everything is fine. Tg channels and bots are routinely used to coordinate all kinds of activities that the ruling class doesn't approve of - e.g. protests against destruction of parks or natural areas for constructi
The encryption is fine. (Score:3)
I'm sure that statement is correct in that the encryption algorithm itself is secure, but there is probably a backdoor that got put in when the French government arrested the CEO, then mysteriously released him.
Snowden leaks... (Score:1)
already showed that telegram is compromised. The Russians are correct in this situation. Why are people just now surprised?
Re: (Score:3)
Then telegram must have been "compromised" using Obama's time machine, as the chat service was launched after the Snowden leak.
But you can still post the link to the leaked document that claims telegram was compromised, of course.
Re: (Score:2)
If true, it's easy for the Russians to prove. Just show a decrypted message. If they haven't done that, I say they're lying. Probably want to discourge Ukrainians from using it on the battlefield. Because the Russians *can't* crack it.