Eurocops shut down Exclu encrypted messaging app • The Register

An encrypted messaging service that has been on legislation enforcement’s radar since a 2019 raid on an outdated NATO bunker has been shut down after a sweeping collection of raids throughout Europe final week. 

In a search of 79 properties in German, The Netherlands, Belgium and Poland final Friday, Authorities in these 4 international locations arrested 48 individuals who have been customers, operators and directors of the Exclu crypto communications service. 

Exclu, which nonetheless has an operational website that seems to nonetheless settle for funds of €500 ($537/£446) or €900 ($966/£804) for 3 and 6 month licenses, respectively, was used extensively by organized criminals and drug gangs, Dutch police said.

Exclu made it potential to change messages, images, notes and different communications with customers, of which Dutch police stated there have been round 3,000 previous to the service’s seizure, 750 of whom have been Dutch audio system. Exclu claims on its web site that it is end-to-end encrypted, affords distant system wiping capabilities, and different safety features. 

“The Exclu service has been dismantled,” stated the Dutch police and Public Prosecution Service. “In the intervening time, nobody can use Exclu’s providers anymore.” 

Together with ending Exclu’s use as a haven for criminals, Dutch legislation enforcement stated it and counterparts in Belgium seized two drug labs, a number of kilos of narcotics, greater than €4 million in money, “numerous luxurious items and several other firearms.” 

Dutch authorities stated professional customers of Exclu who can invoke authorized privilege (e.g. legal professionals, civil-law notaries, medical doctors or clergy) can contact police to have their information deleted, pending a glance to ensure it would not include any unlawful data. 

CB3ROB raid continues to pay dividends

A lot of the arrest of Exclu’s management seems to have occurred exterior of Germany, nevertheless it was German authorities that the remainder of Europe has to thank for the info that led to the raids and arrests. Dutch police particularly thanked their counterparts for permitting them “to conduct analysis in Germany with a view to acquiring proof for its investigation.” 

German police said that their investigation into Exclu started in 2020 and had their origin within the seizure of an outdated NATO bunker dubbed “Cyberbunker” or CB3ROB, which had a reputation for internet hosting a number of the much less professional websites on the web, together with The Pirate Bay and the again finish for Exclu. 

German authorities stated that their investigation of the Cyberbunker gave them the info wanted to decrypt Exclu’s providers with a purpose to monitor communications, which the Dutch police stated they spent 5 months doing previous to final week’s coordinated raids. 

The information retrieved from Exclu additionally allowed authorities to establish and hint the builders, directors and homeowners of the service, a lot of whom have been arrested within the raids.

Legislation enforcement businesses and lawmakers all over the world have made end-to-end encryption providers like Exclu a legislative bugbear, stoking worry that the only purpose of such software program was to subvert the law, and that forcing a backdoor into such providers was mandatory. ®