Telegram

Telegram can be characterized as an open source with closed elements. Maltego Monitor (previously PublicSonar) only offers access to the public part of Telegram: channels and groups. 

How does it work?

To retrieve Telegram messages in your monitor, add 1 or more Telegram accounts to your Maltego Monitor monitor.

To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Create an account on Telegram
2. Link the Telegram account to Maltego Monitor

Create an account on Telegram

You create the Telegram account yourself via Telegram. For this you need a telephone number with which you can receive SMS messages. You then add relevant Channels, Groups and Chats to your Telegram account.

Connect the Telegram account to Maltego Monitor

A new Telegram account can only be connected by an advanced user:

1. Go to 'Settings' at the bottom left of the monitor
2. Click on the 'Organization accounts' tab
3. Click on 'Add account' next to the source Telegram (contact your Maltego Monitor representative if the source is not visible)
4. Next, enter the account phone number
5. Finally, enter the activation code you will receive via SMS and click 'Connect'

Once the Telegram account is connected, the monitor automatically retrieves all messages from the Channels, Groups and Chats associated with this account. 

Because of restrictions it's not possible to collect video's. When you make changes in the Channels, Groups and Chats to an already connected Telegram account, these changes are automatically updated in Maltego Monitor.

You will now see the Telegram messages appear in the monitor as soon as they match your search terms. This will not include video's from Telegram. 

Telegram account as a Search

Once you connected a Telegram account to the monitor, you can also add this account as a Search. By doing this, the Search will collect every message posted in the Groups and Channels that the account is a part of. The account search can immediately be combined with keywords to filter the messages. 

1. Connect a Telegram account to the monitor
2. Create a new search or edit an existing search
3. Select '+Account'
4. Select 'Telegram' as source
5. Select an account
6. Press 'Add account'

Telegram account in an account list

By adding a Telegram account to an account list, you can choose what channels and groups to follow. By doing this, the account list Search will collect every message posted in the Groups and Channels that are selected in the account list. 

1. Open an existing account list or create a new one
2. Go to Telegram
3. Select 'add account'. If no account was connected to the monitor yet, please do so.
4. Choose from which Telegram account you want to select the channels or groups
5. Select the channels or groups you want to add to the account list
6. Save the account list and use it in a case

Manage Telegram Account in Maltego Monitor

To disconnect the account, you can delete the account from Maltego Monitor. 

Messages that have already been retrieved remain available in the monitor.

In addition, an account can be disconnected from the Telegram app. Unfortunately, we cannot detect for you when this is the case. To check whether a connection (session) is still active, go to Settings> Privacy & Security> Active sessions in the Telegram app (see this article on Telegram).

The value of Telegram with Maltego Monitor

Unfortunately, because virtually anyone can participate (anonymously) in a Telegram group, many messages are irrelevant (noise). 

The presence of spam users and bots exacerbates this problem. But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff?

The advantage of the Telegram connection in Maltego Monitor is that you don't have to scroll through thousands of irrelevant messages yourself to find that one valuable message. Through extensive searches and filters, you will quickly bring up what you are looking for. Due to limitations, it is not possible to collect Telegram videos.

Types of groups

On Telegram, anyone can create a group. This provides various information that cannot be found in completely open social media. 

For example, there are groups where residents report what is happening in their neighborhood, groups calling for protest actions, or groups offering illegal substances such as drugs and weapons.

Note that many groups cannot be found by simply using the search function in Telegram. Often you need a special invitation link to enter these groups. This always looks the same: t.me/(name group).