Could WhatsApp Be Used to Hack Mobile Crypto Wallets? Jonathan Ganor 2020-01-22 09:31:00 766 views

Has Amazon's CEO Bezos' Hack Changed Mobile Security Forever?

As previously reported by the Daily Mail, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Saleh had a hand in the hack of Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos' phone in 2018. This was apparently done in response to the Washington Post's coverage of the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoogi by Saudi agents. The hack led to the leak of compromising pictures of Bezos with his then mistress Lauren Sanchez and led to his divorce.

Bezos Phone Hack & Bitcoin

A forensic examination of Bezos' phone led to quite a revelation. A WhatsApp message containing a video sent to Bezos by the Saudi Crown Prince contained malicious code. Within hours large amounts of information was extracted from Bezos' phone. There are no details as to what information was taken and if Bezos viewed the video sent to him, although it is very likely.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister dismissed the allegations as "absurd", but forensics still seem to point to their involvement.

The Bezos hack should change the way users think of cybersecurity and the security of mobile data. Smartphone users have become accustomed to apps violating their privacy at times, but now it seems that anyone can do it via popular apps.

This is something that could further threaten the security of mobile cryptocurrency wallets. While nearly every mobile wallet recommends against it, many store their seed phase in their phone's notepad or take a screenshot. The main reason for that is convenience and lack of a place to store their seed phrase with a phone.

While mobile wallets are an extremely convenient to monitor and transfer cryptocurrencies, it is not a very secure method of storage. For larger amounts, paper wallets and cold storage devices are considered more secure and preferable.

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