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The overwhelming majority of people who own a cell phone rely on text messages for the bulk of their communication. However, multiple government agencies are sounding the alarm due to concerns that Chinese spies have figured out how to snoop on Americans after hacking into major carriers.
I’m old enough to remember when text messages first became A Thing back when you got charged for every single one you sent. At the time, I predicted they’d never really catch on because it was infinitely easier to get to the point by calling someone, and I don’t think I’ve ever missed the mark on something as badly as I did there.
Text messaging has become the norm to the point where I assume I’m going to be greeted with some incredibly serious news whenever I receive an unexpected phone call, and it’s hard to imagine a world where that particular option is off the table.
However, according to NBC News, officials representing the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are advising Americans to stop sending unencrypted text messages due to a Chinese hacking operation dubbed “Salt Typhoon” they say managed to infiltrate major wireless providers including Verizon and AT&T.
The agencies say they’re still investigating the extent of the hack, which seemingly allowed the unsavory actors who orchestrated it to access metadata to track interactions between certain numbers, listen in on some calls, and, most alarmingly, obtain potentially classified files concerning communications logs maintained by law enforcement agencies who’ve obtained warrants to track conversations.
The agencies are subsequently advising Americans to harness services that feature end-to-end encryption, which includes platforms like Signal and WhatsApp.
iPhone and Android users also don’t really have to worry when you consider iMessage and Google Message automatically encrypt texts and phone calls, although that only applies when the person you’re communicating with is using the same service (RCS and SMS texts are still vulnerable).
It goes without saying this warning largely applies to people who need to be concerned about drawing the attention of the Chinese government in the first place, but it never hurts to err on the side of caution.