Signal denies it has been hacked

WhatsApp and Signal app icons
(Image credit: Michele Ursi / Shutterstock)

Mobile messaging app Signal has said it has not been compromised following reports that the service had been hacked.

The encrypted instant messaging app, which has seen a surge in popularity recently due to its offer of a more secure way to stay in contact with friends and family, forecfully declared it had not been affected by any attacks.

"We've had an uptick in usage in Eastern Europe & rumors are circulating that Signal is hacked & compromised," the company tweeted. "This is false. Signal is not hacked. We believe these rumors are part of a coordinated misinformation campaign meant to encourage people to use less secure alternatives."

TechRadar needs you!

We're looking at how our readers use VPNs with different devices so we can improve our content and offer better advice. This survey shouldn't take more than 60 seconds of your time, and entrants from the UK and US will have the chance to enter a draw for a £100 Amazon gift card (or equivalent in USD). Thank you for taking part.

>> Click here to start the survey in a new window <<

"Rumors"

"We’re seeing these rumors appear in messages forwarded on several different apps," a separate tweet added. "These rumors are often attributed to official government sources and read “attacks on Signal platform.” This is false and Signal is not under attack."

The declaration comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, with misinformation and untruths linked to the conflict being shared on social media and online.

Several major cyberattacks are also thought to have taken down Ukrainian and Russian government websites, along with banking and media services on both sides.

Signal has seen user numbers soar in recent months as customers look for a more secure way to message and stay in touch. Signal is available for Windows, macOS, Linux (Debian-based distros), iOS and Android, and offers mobile and desktop versions.

The app says it keeps messages secure using end-to-end encryption using its own Signal Protocol, which means no one other than the sender and the intended recipient is able to see messages. 

Signal also allows users to choose how long messages and conversations are available for, meaning you can create self-destructing messages that are rendered completely inaccessible – by anyone – after a period of your choosing.

The encryption keys are stored on users' phones and computers, never on servers, and to avoid the potential risk (albeit a very small one) of spoofing, you'll be warned if the security key of anyone you are talking with changes.

Via Reuters

Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.

Read more
QR Code
Hackers are targeting Signal with new QR code-linked cyberattack
ignal messaging application President Meredith Whittaker poses for a photograph before an interview at the Europe&#039;s largest tech conference, the Web Summit, in Lisbon on November 4, 2022.
"We will not walk back" – Signal would rather leave the UK and Sweden than remove encryption protections
Young woman using mobile phone
Best encrypted messaging app for Android of 2025
Trojan
WhatsApp patches security flaw which let hackers install spyware
Collage of hand with a key and a smartphone
Is it possible to send a truly anonymous message?
WhatsApp China VPN
Paragon spyware campaign targeting journalists disrupted by WhatsApp
Latest in Security
China
Notorious Chinese hackers FamousSparrow allegedly target US financial firms
A digital representation of a lock
NYU website defaced as hacker leaks info on a million students
NHS
NHS IT supplier hit with major fine following ransomware attack
A digital representation of blockchain.
Malicious npm packages use devious backdoors to target users
Data leak
Top home hardware firm data leak could see millions of customers affected
Representational image depecting cybersecurity protection
Third-party security issues could be the biggest threat facing your business
Latest in News
An image of the Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders will start on April 2 according to Best Buy Canada
Person printing
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update exorcises possessed printers that spewed out pages of random characters
Pro-Ject A1.2 in black, playing a vinyl record in a hi-fi listening room
Pro-Ject's new fully-automatic turntable could be the buy of Record Store Day 2025
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet reportedly won't release until after 2026, as Neil Druckmann says that staff 'are playing it at the office' right now - but I don't think I can wait that long
Screenshot from action RPG soulslike Lies of P
Lies of P Overture won't elaborate on the game's eyebrow-raising post-credits twist, and I think that's good news
Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 launching with a Mario Kart game 'is very unlike Nintendo' compared to the original Switch releasing with Breath of the Wild, says former marketing leads: 'That's what's gonna make you want to buy the new hardware'