EncroChat was the biggest encrypted communication service provider in the UK. It also offered instant encrypted messaging service for handsets which are carbon units that disabled GPS, camera, and microphone functions. National Crime Agency (NCA) in the United Kingdom has made 746 detentions after cracking the encryption of Encrochat and dissolving hundreds of organized crime groups while intercepting millions of encrypted text messages.
EncroChat did not know that their apps are infringing until May when several users find that the wipe feature was not working. They will disrupt organized crime networks for weeks and months and possibly years to come as a result of these operations. According to Motherboard sources, the criminal structure is in disarray. Totally disordered by some users throwing away their computers, some going offline, and some attempting to flee their countries.
EncroChat Encryption cracked and police arrested the gang
Throughout Operation Venetic, the entire gang of crime groups was dismantling. They pull apart with 746 arrests and £54 m criminal cash, 77 firearms, and more than two tons of drugs seized so far. Operation Venetic – NCA officers knocking the door down British law enforcement. It made a major achievement in the battle against violent and organized crime following the loss of a custom-designed, encrypted electronic messaging network mainly used by criminals. EncroChat, the largest encoded messaging service provider provided an instant messaging service on secure mobile phones. But an international law enforcement team cracked the encryption of Encrochat.
There were 60,000 users globally and only 10,000 users in the UK. The only tool they used was to organize and plan illegal drug delivery, money laundering, and planning to destroy rival criminals. The National Crime Agency has been collaborating with foreign law enforcement agencies since 2016 to combat EncroChat. However, through exchanging technological knowledge and information, they have targeted other encrypted criminal communication channels.
Outside the UK working for the criminal organization behind EncroChat.EncroChat discovered on June 13. The site compromises and sent a message to its users asking them to throw their handsets away. The mobile-which has instant messaging applications pre-loaded. The ability to make VOIP calls and a remotely wiping kill code. However, do not have any other traditional mobile features and for a six-month contract cost about £1,500.
EncroChat protects conversations using the following four principles
- Perfect Forward Secrecy: Each massage session encrypts at each contact with a different set of keys. If any given key is not compromised, it will never result in the vulnerability of previously transmitting messages. And also in even passive detection of potential messages.
- Repudiable Authentication: Messages do not use digital signatures that provide proofs from third parties. You’re also told, however, that you’re talking to who you think you are.
- Deniability: Once communication is through, someone can forge messages to make them appear like they were coming from you. However, the recipient is informed during communication that all received messages are genuine and unmodified. This ensures messages are non-reputable.
- Encryption Strength: The algorithms using are several times stronger than PGP (RSA+AES). It uses algorithms from different mathematics families, which protect the content of messages in case of a single encryption algorithm ever settling.
Conclusion
Main crime figures were among over 800 arrests across Europe following interception and decoding of messages on EncroChat. The French authorities also said that they have monitored the communications of thousands of suspects but refused to say further on the outcome of the raids. It is reporting that the EncroChat network has about 60,000 users worldwide, who receive a message from the organization in mid-June advising them that the system was hacked and asking them to throw away the phones.
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