WASHINGTON — In the wake of a massive cyberattack linked to the Chinese government, FBI officials are renewing warnings that your private text messages aren’t secure.
The concern comes after a hacking operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, gained access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. The hacking group is reportedly associated with the Chinese government.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called it the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history,” the Washington Post reported.
Earlier this month, the FBI and other government cybersecurity officials recommended Americans switch from regular text messages to encrypted messaging apps if they wanted to protect themselves from Chinese hackers, NBC News reports.
“Our suggestion, what we have told folks internally, is not new here: Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or if you have the capacity to use encrypted voice communication. Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible,” said Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Salt Typhoon is mostly targeting strategically important officials and researchers, said Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor and researcher at the University of New Haven. Federal authorities said hackers linked to China targeted the phones of Donald Trump, JD Vance, and people associated with Kamala Harris.
But there is a risk to ordinary individuals, too, as hackers collected large amounts of metadata.
“This information, even without access to content, can reveal communication patterns, social networks, and potential vulnerabilities, making it a valuable tool for adversaries to identify and exploit targets,” Behzadan said.
While you may not be a primary target of a hacking campaign like this, “ordinary individuals are not immune,” he added. Your communications and connections could reveal something that helps adversaries with misinformation campaigns or gets them closer to valued targets.
People concerned about the security of their text messages, regardless of the type of phone your use or your telecom provider, can instead use messaging apps, like WhatsApp or Signal. Encrypted messages can’t be read when they’re in transit between the phone that sends it and the one that receives it. Google Messages and the Messages app on Apple devices are also encrypted.
While encryption isn’t a foolproof solution to hacking, it offers better protection, Behzadan said. “Evaluating the risks versus rewards of different communication methods and exercising caution when sharing sensitive information are key to minimizing threats.”
The federal government has also released technical guidance to telecom companies to increase security.
“There is a risk of ongoing compromises to communications until U.S. companies address the cybersecurity gaps the Chinese are likely to maintain their access,” Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberge said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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