Multiple Telegram accounts belonging to French lawmakers were hacked in recent days, the French National Assembly said in an email to parliamentarians on Wednesday seen by POLITICO.
The MPs whose accounts were compromised appear to have been the victims of phishing attacks. Some clicked on a link purporting to offer them the opportunity to view pictures of their old primary school teachers.
The email sent to MPs on Wednesday warned them to be on guard, as the hackers could use the affected accounts to spread "malicious content."
National Rally lawmaker Laure Lavalette confirmed she had been a victim of the attack. Another MP told POLITICO that parliamentarians from across the political spectrum were targeted. That lawmaker said he spotted many of his colleagues on Wednesday "lining up" outside the National Assembly digital counter, an office responsible for advising elected officials on best practices when it comes to technology and information security.
All lawmakers have been advised to change their passwords and enable two-factor authentication on Telegram.
The encrypted messaging app has long been popular in French political services, but government officials started spurning Telegram since the arrest of its founder, Pavel Durov, in France in August.
The French prime minister's office recommended before news of the hack broke that government ministers cease using Telegram and opt instead for Tchap, an encrypted messaging app built in-house by the French government, or Olvid, a French option that offers end-to-end encryption.
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