Hacking “encrypted phones” used by cartels: from BlackBerry PGP to Phantom Secure to ANOM. 📱😈👀👮🔗

Journalist Joseph Cox presents his research on encrypted mobile devices used by organized crime, from the arrest of Phantom Secure to the ANOM encrypted network that was originally created by the FBI and distributed to criminals around the world.

Criminals have expertise in security, so they knew they could not fully rely on mobile networks, regular apps, or standard systems. Instead, they bought expensive “encrypted phones” that removed features like GPS, cameras, and microphones and ran encrypted messaging apps.

Over time, authorities began targeting these platforms:

1️⃣ Early services like PGP-based BlackBerry systems were shut down.

2️⃣ Companies like Phantom Secure were infiltrated, leading to arrests.

3️⃣ Platforms like EncroChat and Sky ECC were hacked and implanted with malware.

4️⃣ ANOM, very popular among criminals and marketed as a “bulletproof secure” phone, was secretly created and run by the FBI.

There are a lot of interesting details in the talk, and you can Google to find even more. Enjoy the talk, and please stay safe!

More details:

How Law Enforcement Agencies Compromise Entire Encrypted Chat Platforms [Youtube]: https://lnkd.in/d_-qbXhK