EU officials targeted by state-sponsored cyberattacks on messaging apps

A report from the European Union's cybersecurity service, circulated to member governments in July 2026, has revealed that high-ranking EU officials are being targeted by state-sponsored cyberattacks. The report identifies the hacking of messaging accounts, specifically on Signal and WhatsApp, as one of the primary security threats facing the Union this year.

The investigation highlights the use of "spearphishing," a technique where personalized messages are sent to trick specific individuals into clicking malicious links or opening harmful files. This marks the first official acknowledgment by an EU institution that its officials have been targeted through these communication platforms. While the report formally links these activities to a foreign government, earlier warnings from national cybersecurity agencies had already suggested a connection to Russian threat actors.

The findings underscore an escalating pattern of sophisticated digital espionage targeting European leadership. The EU has officially characterized these intrusions as a significant threat to internal security, though the report does not outline specific future legal actions or immediate policy changes following these revelations.