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The Kremlin is conducting an international cyber operation aimed at accessing WhatsApp and Signal accounts belonging to government officials, diplomats, and military personnel, according to warnings from Dutch and Portuguese intelligence agencies.

The Portuguese Security Information Service stated on Wednesday that hackers are employing multiple techniques to deceive users into revealing their passwords and access codes, thereby breaching accounts, viewing personal and group messages, accessing shared documents, and initiating further phishing attacks against contacts.

The organization stated that the attacks do not indicate that WhatsApp or Signal platforms have been breached. Rather, malicious actors are taking advantage of “possibly less careful” usage of these messaging services.

Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence technologies to mimic technical support personnel or familiar contacts, according to the SIS. They gather audio and visual recordings of their targets to conduct realistic conversations through messages, phone calls, or video calls.

The SIS was unable to determine the country responsible for the campaign.

Dutch intelligence and security agencies stated on Monday that Russia is responsible for the attacks. Dutch officials confirmed that government personnel are among the “targets and victims” and cautioned that journalists could also be targeted by Moscow.

App encryption remains ‘robust’

WhatsApp and Signal are known for their security, which has caused governments to utilize them for internal messaging. The Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service has warned against doing so.

“Although messaging applications like Signal and WhatsApp offer end-to-end encryption, they should not be utilized for transmitting classified, confidential, or sensitive information,” stated Vice Admiral Peter Reesink, head of the Dutch military intelligence service.

Signal stated in a message on X that its encryption and systems are still “strong” and have not been breached.

The organization stated that it is addressing reports of harmful behavior “with great seriousness” and confirmed that “targeted phishing attacks” have affected certain Signal user accounts, including those belonging to government employees and reporters.

Signal advised users against sharing their PINs or mobile verification codes. WhatsApp provided comparable guidance, cautioning users not to disclose the six-digit codes utilized to protect their accounts. Both entities suggested blocking messages or calls from unknown sources.