Some French MPs have their accounts hacked on Telegram Credit: Shutterstock: Badrul Chakrot
Despite a crackdown on the security of social media accounts and the sharing of personal information, the Telegram accounts of French MPs have been hacked.
We live in a world where our personal information and accounts are never completely secure. Follow our reminders to protect your passwords and personal information Hacking And Forgerywe live in a cyber world that is full of danger. The need for security is even greater for those in higher positions. Yet in France, even the top dogs have fallen victim to hacked social media accounts.
After the reports of hacking, the services of the National Assembly alerted all the members of the assembly. It was discovered that several MPs’ Telegram accounts had been hacked, significantly damaging the messaging system shared among political staff. They received a warning email yesterday, Wednesday November 20, from the Assembly’s IT security services about an “account compromise” on instant messaging, sending shock waves across the political landscape and information being leaked. There was fear regarding the passage.
MP’s hacked accounts: They clicked on a link and entered a phone number.
According to the newspaper Politico, the hacking operation works when the MP clicks on a fake link and includes his phone number. If this happens, their Telegram account can be manipulated to send “malicious content”.
Sadly, anyone can fall into this trap, and according to several Telegram messages that have been uncovered, that was exactly the case for several deputies. Oddly enough, the tempting link prompted recipients of the messages to view photos of their primary school teacher – the randomness of which must have sparked intrigue among unsuspecting MPs.
MP encouraged the use of new passwords and two-way authentication.
The hacking scenario was not limited to any particular group. Laure Lavallette, MP for the far-right party, RN (National Rally or National Front), said she was the victim of a scam. Another MP reported seeing his own colleagues queuing up at the assembly’s digital help point for guidance on their digital practices. From now on, MPs are encouraged to change their password and apply two-way authentication to protect their account, including facial recognition, codes and other methods.
This is not the first time this has happened. Pavel Durov was arrested in France in late August for a similar hacking incident, raising suspicions and calls for increased vigilance over Telegram. Authorities have stepped up monitoring of cybersecurity threats and Matignon (the official residence of the French prime minister) has urged members of parliament to avoid or close the application.
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