Runa Sandvik

Correct. And because she had linked Signal on the phone to the desktop app, the FBI was able to access her messages.

If you've been laid off by the Washington Post this week and have any questions re: digital security, please email me on runa@granitt.io. I'll help you pro-bono for the rest of the month.

YouTube video by DEFCONConference DEF CON 33 - Voice Cloning Air Traffic Control: Vulnerabilities at Runway Crossings - Andrew Logan

We’ve heard a lot about use of AI to clone the voices of celebrities, execs, and politicians. Here’s a @defcon.bsky.social talk from @helicoptersofdc.bsky.social about cloning the voices of air traffic controllers to give false instructions to pilots. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKwx...

The issue here was not Signal, but the use of Touch ID for authentication. The agents were able to access her Signal messages because they were able to access the laptop, and she’d linked the mobile app to the desktop app.

FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled Lockdown Mode is a sometimes overlooked feature of Apple devices that broadly make them harder to hack. A court record indicates the feature might be effective at stopping third parties unlocking some...

The FBI has so far been unable to get into Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s iPhone because it’s using Lockdown Mode — one of my favorite iOS features. You can turn it on for iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS too! www.404media.co/fbi-couldnt-...

Epstein was a New York Times subscriber; in 2017 he received an invite to the first CryptoParty my colleagues and I organized in New York. I've got no memory of him attending, though. www.justice.gov/epstein/file...

Stavanger-jente ringes ned: - Ekkelt En 14-åring fra Stavanger har fått mange ukjente anrop etter at telefonnummeret hennes dukket opp i Epstein-filene.

The old phone number for Norway’s crown princess is in the Epstein files. That number now belongs to a 14yo girl in Stavanger who says she’s receiving creepy calls and messages. I’m surprised the provider recycled the number and didn’t just archive it. www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/stav...

Reminds me of the time some people reported issues with SolarWinds, but couldn’t quite make sense of it… until six months later or something.

Between June and December 2025, a “likely Chinese state-sponsored group” compromised the infrastructure used by Notepad++ and served malicious updates to selectively targeted users. notepad-plus-plus.org/news/hijacke...

Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...

ProPublica names the two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti last weekend: Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez. www.propublica.org/article/alex...

Judge blocks government from searching data seized from Post reporter Government officials may not examine electronic devices seized from a Post reporter until litigation stemming from the search of her home is settled, a judge rules.

Remains to be seen. The devices were seized and material was archived, but has yet to be reviewed. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Here’s the specific language from one of the other documents. Biometrics is something you have, which they can demand that you present. Password is something you know, which they can’t force you to share. bsky.app/profile/runa...

Like a cryptoparty?

bsky.app/profile/runa...

Yes, but why rely on just the law when you can add extra security on your own?

How to Tell a Secret in the Digital Age (Published 2017)

I helped design and implement the secure tip line at the New York Times in 2016. Who can access what, when, where, and how is just as important as the specific apps, tools, and settings that are used. www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/i...

The Signal messages between Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson and her source were set to auto-delete after one day; but Natanson consistently published articles directly quoting his leaks just days after receiving the information. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

The FBI was able to access Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's Signal messages because she used Signal on her work laptop. The laptop accepted Touch ID for authentication, meaning the agents were allowed to require her to unlock it. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

New court record from the FBI details the state of the devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson: phone was on w/Lockdown Mode; personal laptop was off; work laptop was on w/Touch ID; several Signal chats used disappearing messages. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Avdekket kameraer som overvåket Melkøya Politiet undersøker et italiensk selskap, som selger informasjon videre til andre, etter avsløring av kameraer som overvåket gassanlegget på Melkøya i detalje.

Police in Norway are investigating an Italian company suspected of installing high-end FLIR cameras on a rooftop overlooking Melkøya, the endpoint of the pipeline for natural gas from the Barents Sea. www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnm...

Journalism is not a crime. www.cnn.com/2026/01/30/p...

Plenty of apps that request precise location data that aren’t messaging apps.

Ease of access. You’d have to know which platform to go after and hope they have the data.

Ease of access. You’d have to know which platform to go after and hope they have the data.

No it won’t.

Apple’s new iPhone security feature limits cell networks from collecting precise location data, but appears to have very limited support in the U.S. at the moment. Here’s to hoping all the big carriers get on board too. techcrunch.com/2026/01/29/a...

I’ll be in Copenhagen, Barcelona, and Madrid in March! I’ve got some extra time for security assessments; policy and process things; and presentations, so please get in touch if you’d like to work together.

WhatsApp releases account feature that looks to combat spyware WhatsApp is rolling out “Strict Account Settings,” a lockdown-style security mode that limits interactions from non-contacts to help protect high-risk users from sophisticated spyware attacks.

Powerful new features announced by WhatsApp today to defend against sophisticated spyware. Includes the ability to block attachments and media from people not in your contact list. cyberscoop.com/whatsapp-str...

Source Protection Programme The Source Protection Programme (SPP) is a unique operational and information security training course, delivered online through hands-on practical training sessions and interactive resources. The pro...

I discuss the first contact problem; reporting on leaked, classified information; and how authorities conduct leak investigations as part of the Source Protection Programme with @tcij.org and @freedom.press. tcij.org/source-prote...

Stephen Kim Spoke to a Reporter. Now He’s in Jail. This Is His Story. For the first time, Kim tells how it felt to be turned into a public enemy.

Perez-Lugones and WaPo reminds me of Stephen Kim, former State Dept, who in 2014 got 13 months in prison for leaking to James Rosen at Fox News. Metadata collected by the FBI detailed how Kim had accessed information that Rosen then quickly reported on. theintercept.com/2015/02/18/d...