German police read WhatsApp messages without cracking encryption

cross-posted from : lemmy.zip/post/71321898

Netzpoltik details that police are able to gain access in this way either through physical access to someone’s phone or by intercepting verification codes via a state-sanctioned phishing attack or intercepting SMS messages via telephone surveillance

cybernews.com/privacy/police-telegram-whatsapp-signal-surveillance-linked-devices/

Open source FIDO2 keys, KeePassXC, and Aegis.

SMS 2fa has always been a bad deal

I’ll never understand why people accept SMS 2FA as any kind of security. Might as well put it as an ad in a newspaper. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Because many services only have SMS as 2FA option. Especially government services.

Also it is impossible to use google without enabling the SMS 2FA option. No matter what, with only 2FA authenticator app or email, they will lock down the account by saying “unable to verify”.

You can have a Google account without 2FA, but you need to create it using a factory-reset old Android phone (Android 8 or so).