Charges Against Treasury Employee Show Weakness of Encrypted Apps

Charges Against Treasury Employee Show Weakness of Encrypted Apps

Encryption apps are only as secure as you make them.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Oct 22, 2018

Last week, the government unveils criminal charges against a Treasury Department employee accused of leaking confidential banking reports involving key figures in the special counsel's prove of Russian electron interference. The findings are a reminder that encrypted apps used by millions around the world may provide a false sense of security for people who do not use them correctly or take other security precautions.

Prosecutors say Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior official at the department's financial crimes unit, sent photos of the documents through an encrypted app to a reporter, who used them as the basis for a dozen stories related to the probe, according to the Washington Post. 

Normally, it would have been extremely difficult for investigators to have intercepted the messages because of the high level of security encrypted messaging apps provide, but prosecutors say they found hundreds of the messages Edwards stored on her cellphone when they searched the device last week.

The messages are said to have included communications in which Edwards "transmitted or described" the banking documents to the reporter.

The case is a high-profile reminder that users need to take extra steps — beyond just downloading an app — to receive the full benefits of an encrypted service. In other words, if you are backing up your decrypted messages onto your device, you are no longer protected by the app.

The potential false sense of security is an especially important warning sign for reporters and their sources, who have turned increasingly to encrypted apps for confidential communication. 

Cybersecurity reported Kim Zetter tweeted, "This should be an instruction for both reporters and their sources — encrypted messages are UNENCRYPTED on receiving/sending devices. If authorities obtain the device, the encryption is no good."

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

  • Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now

  • UL Solutions Launches Artificial Intelligence Safety Certification Services

    UL Solutions Inc., a global leader in safety science, today announced the launch of artificial intelligence (AI) safety certification services, enabling comprehensive assessments for evaluating the safety of AI-powered products. Read Now

  • ESA Announces Initiative to Introduce the SECURE Act in State Legislatures

    The Electronic Security Association (ESA), the national voice for the electronic security and life safety industry, has announced plans to introduce the SECURE Act in state legislatures across the country beginning in 2025. The proposal, known as Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures, provides a clear framework that allows candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for professional security services. Read Now

    • Guard Services
Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.