FBI issues urgent warning to iPhone and Android users about ’massive and ongoing’ cyber attack
The FBI has warned people not to send text messages between Apple and Android phones amid massive and ongoing cyber attacks
The FBI has warned people not to send text messages between Apple and Android phones amid massive and ongoing cyber attacks.
The American intelligence agency revealed that communications between these devices are susceptible to interception by hackers, raising concerns about the security of personal data. In response, users are urged to switch to secure, encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp to safeguard their communications.
Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), emphasised the importance of encryption. "Use your encrypted communications where you have it," he said. "Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible."
The warning comes amid reports of a large-scale cyberespionage campaign orchestrated by Chinese hackers, referred to as Salt Typhoon. The campaign, which surfaced earlier this year, has targeted the networks of several worldwide telecommunications companies.
Hackers gained access to metadata - information on the dates, times, and recipients of calls and texts - and, in some cases, the actual content of calls and messages. Although the FBI has been investigating the attacks for months, the full extent of the breach remains unclear.
Officials have not determined the number of victims or whether hackers still maintain access to sensitive information. Encrypted messaging apps are being promoted as a critical defence against such threats. Such apps protect users by converting calls and texts into an unreadable format, preventing unauthorised access.
"Our suggestion, what we have told folks internally, is not new here: encryption is your friend," Greene said. "We definitely need to do that, kind of look at what it means long-term, how we secure our networks." Recent high-profile hacking incidents linked to China underscore the severity of the threat.
In September, the FBI announced it had disrupted a hacking operation involving malicious software installed on more than 200,000 devices, including cameras, video recorders, and home routers. The FBI’s latest warning highlights the growing risk of cyberattacks on telecom infrastructure and the urgent need for users to adopt more secure practices.
China has rejected accusations from US officials that it engages in cyberespionage. A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington DC called the allegations "disinformation." China’s government "firmly opposes and combats all kinds of cyber attacks," spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement.
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