The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has issued a warning that text messages exchanged between Apple and Android devices may be vulnerable to interception by foreign hackers.
According to the agency, the Chinese government could potentially access these messages, highlighting a significant cyber espionage risk.
Globally, 270,000 texts are sent every second. However, the FBI revealed that its investigation, launched earlier this year, uncovered “a broad and significant cyber espionage campaign” targeting telecommunications networks.
“Since the FBI first identified specific malicious activity targeting the sector, we have identified that PRC-affiliated cyber actors have compromised networks of multiple telecom companies to enable multiple activities,” a senior FBI official disclosed.
While the campaign primarily focuses on government and political figures, cybersecurity expert Peter Tran assured the general public that the threat is not universal. “The sky is not falling. There is nothing to panic about,” Tran told WBZ-TV.
The FBI confirmed that the hackers accessed the private communications of a limited group of individuals linked to government and politics, seeking intelligence valuable to the Chinese government.
“It had interest in this political climate around certain individuals that are of high value to the Chinese government with respect to the intelligence they can gain from it,” Tran explained.
To safeguard against such threats, Tran advised against texting sensitive information.
“So, the rule of thumb is, don’t text message anything that you wouldn’t grab a bullhorn and say in the middle of Harvard Square,” he warned, citing examples like Social Security numbers or credit card details.
For heightened security, the FBI recommends using encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
According to the agency, another precaution is to use phones that automatically update their operating systems. Alternatively, users can resort to phone calls to avoid risks altogether.
