Finance
Portugal warns foreign state-backed hackers targeting officials' and military messaging accounts
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 11, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 11, 2026
Quick Summary
Portugal’s SIS warns of a global cyber campaign by foreign state‑backed hackers targeting WhatsApp and Signal accounts of officials and military personnel via social‑engineering, echoing similar Russian‑linked attacks flagged by Dutch agencies.
Portugal Alerts: State-Backed Hackers Target Messaging Accounts of Officials, Military
Global Cyber Campaign Targets Secure Messaging Platforms
Overview of the Threat
LISBON, March 11 (Reuters) - Foreign state-backed hackers have launched a global cyber campaign to access the WhatsApp and Signal accounts of government officials, diplomats and military personnel, the national intelligence service (SIS) warned on Wednesday.
Hackers' Methods and Objectives
In a rare statement, the SIS said the hackers seek to trick users of these platforms "into sharing sensitive data, such as passwords", in order to gain access to individual and group chats and shared files.
Targeted Individuals and Groups
"The targets are government officials, diplomats, military personnel, and civil society members with access to privileged information from Portugal and allied countries," SIS said.
Attribution and Security Implications
Unknown Foreign State Involvement
SIS did not identify the foreign state behind the hackers, who are "exploiting potential careless use by individuals relying on the end-to-end encryption of the two applications," widely used by officials, military personnel, and executives.
Security of Messaging Platforms
It said the attacks "do not mean that WhatsApp or Signal have been compromised," but did not rule out the possibility.
Related International Incidents
Two intelligence agencies in the Netherlands said on Monday that Russian-backed hackers had also launched a global cyber campaign to gain access to both platforms.
Public Response and Preparedness
SIS said it issued the alert also to help the public prepare for cyberattacks.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Key Takeaways
- •Portugal’s SIS issued a rare warning on March 11, 2026 about state‑backed hackers targeting messaging apps of officials via phishing and social engineering.
- •Dutch AIVD and MIVD confirm a parallel global campaign, attributed to Russian‑backed hackers, using similar tactics to compromise Signal and WhatsApp accounts (techradar.com).
- •Attackers exploit features like verification codes, PINs, QR codes, and linked‑device functions—not flaws in app encryption—to access sensitive chats and files (techradar.com).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Portugal warns foreign state-backed hackers targeting officials' and military messaging accounts
1Who are the main targets of the foreign state-backed hackers?
Government officials, diplomats, military personnel, and civil society members with access to privileged information from Portugal and allied countries are the primary targets.
2What platforms are being targeted in these cyberattacks?
The hackers are targeting WhatsApp and Signal messaging accounts.
3How are the hackers attempting to access sensitive data?
Hackers attempt to trick users into sharing sensitive data such as passwords, enabling them to access chats and shared files.
4Has WhatsApp or Signal been compromised?
There is no confirmation that WhatsApp or Signal have been compromised, but the SIS did not rule out the possibility.
5Which countries were mentioned as being involved in similar cyber campaigns?
Portugal and the Netherlands have reported such activities, with Dutch agencies attributing some attacks to Russian-backed hackers.
