The expert: "Criminals will find new methods"

Jonas Lejon is an IT security expert and has for several years worked with issues of encryption and security.

For over ten years he worked at the Swedish Armed Forces' radio station, FRA and the Swedish Armed Forces.

- Encrypted services and encrypted communication are an everyday occurrence in our society and if you look at the statistics right now, approximately 90-99 percent of all communication is encrypted.

I see it as a natural development that even criminals and others simply start using encrypted chats and encrypted services.

Then there is a trade-off you then have to make with integrity, against striking against a criminal infrastructure, says Jonas Lejon, IT security expert.

"New methods"

Although the encrypted mobile service Encrochat was hacked and disappeared from the market, there are many options for criminals.

- The criminals will find new methods to hide their communication, encrypt and try to make it difficult for the judiciary to take part in their communication.

So they will look further and there are hundreds of different services that offer exactly the same thing as Encrochat, says Jonas Lejon.

Are criminals a target group for encrypted services?

- Both yes and no.

In a way, they have a rather unique need for encryption services, that they may want to quickly delete large amounts of information and they want to make it difficult to track.

But many of these services can be seen in companies and individuals as well.

So the criminal needs interact quite a lot with the needs of ordinary organizations as well, says Jonas Lejon.

"No system uncheckable"

And the various police authorities' work in hacking the encrypted services is closely monitored by the industry.

- You follow this of course and see what methods the police use to hack and get into phones and systems.

Much of it is about protecting their IT systems and products.

Because what the police do to hack in can also be used by others to hack in, says Jonas Lejon.

Can police and authorities crack down on these encrypted services?

- Yes, no system is hackable, it is really a matter of time and resources to invest in getting into different types of encrypted chats or mobile phones like Encrochat, says Jonas Lejon.