Poland tells officials to drop Signal after Russian phishing

Poland has instructed government officials to stop using the popular instant messaging app Signal for sensitive communications and to move to a state-developed alternative. The decision follows repeated cyberattacks targeting Signal accounts belonging to politicians, military personnel, and public servants, with officials claiming the campaigns are linked to Russian-backed APT groups.

The attacks did not break Signal’s encryption but targeted users through account compromise and social engineering, including impersonation of Signal staff and the use of malicious QR codes or links to link attacker-controlled devices to victims’ accounts. According to gov[.]pl, national-level Computer Security Incident Response Teams have identified phishing campaigns conducted by APT groups linked to hostile state agencies.

To improve security, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is recommending national platforms such as mSzyfr Messenger and SKR-Z, with mSzyfr being access-restricted and hosted entirely within Poland under national cybersecurity standards. Across Europe, several countries are moving to domestically controlled platforms in response to similar phishing and impersonation risks, underscoring that the core issue lies with user targeting rather than encryption itself. Poland’s shift away from Signal fits into this wider debate about securing official communications amid ongoing cyber pressure. 19 May 2026