Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Florida) discusses the Department of Homeland Security's latest bill to combat the Chinese Communist Party during an appearance on “Berney & Co.”
Following the Salt Typhoon hack of several major U.S. telecommunications providers, the FBI and major federal cybersecurity agencies have warned Android and iPhone users to send unencrypted texts to users of other operating systems. I am warning you to stop doing this.
FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials have warned that the Salt Typhoon cyber breach, carried out by Chinese attackers, targeted telecommunications companies. The hackers gained access to systems used by companies to process call records, live phone calls with specific targets, and call-tracing orders from law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The breach has not yet been remediated, but authorities are encouraging users to communicate using encrypted messaging systems.
Apple's iPhone and Google's Android smartphones have encrypted iPhone-to-iPhone and Android-to-Android messaging, respectively, but messages between Android and iPhone users are not encrypted.
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In this photo illustration, a cyber lock symbol appears on an Android phone with a hacker code in the background. (Photo illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“What we're proposing, what we've been telling people internally is nothing new here. Whether it's text messaging or the ability to use encrypted voice communications, encryption is your friend,” said Jeff Green, Executive Assistant Director of Cybersecurity at CISA. He told NBC News at a press conference.
Green added that the scale of the breach into communications systems was large enough that it was “impossible” for authorities to “predict the timing of a complete eviction,” the newspaper reported.
“People who want to further protect their mobile device communications can automatically receive timely operating system updates, responsibly managed encryption and phishing resistance,” an FBI official who requested anonymity told NBC. “People would benefit from considering using mobile phones with security tools such as multi-factor authentication.” For email, social media, and other accounts.
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businessman with mobile phone (iStock / iStock)
CISA, the FBI, the National Security Agency, and the cybersecurity agencies of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand issued a warning on Wednesday about the Salt Typhoon breach, warning that “People's Republic of China (PRC)-affiliated attackers have compromised the world's major telecommunications networks. has been infringed upon.” Providers will conduct extensive and significant cyber espionage operations. ”
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These agencies have released guides for network engineers and other communications infrastructure managers to use best practices to harden networks against exploitation by China-related and other malicious cyber actors. did. They added that the guide may also be relevant to “organizations with on-premises enterprise equipment.”
