FBI warns that text messages between Android and iPhone users pose a cyber risk

FBI and top federal cybersecurity agency warn Android and iPhone users to stop sending unencrypted texts to users of the other operating system after the Salt Typhoon hack of several major US telecommunications providers.

Officials from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warn that the Typhoon Salt cyber breachled by Chinese actors, targeted telecommunications companies. Hackers accessed call recordings, live phone calls from specific targets, and systems that companies use to process court orders from law enforcement and intelligence agencies in order to track calls.

Although the flaw has not yet been fixed, authorities encourage users to communicate using encrypted messaging systems.

Apple's iPhone and Google's Android smartphones have encryption for 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 the cyber lock symbol is displayed on an Android mobile phone with hacker code in the background. (Photo illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Our suggestion, what we've been telling people internally, is not new here. Encryption is your friend, whether it's on text messaging or if you have the ability to use encrypted voice communications,” Jeff Greene, executive deputy director for cybersecurity at CISA, told NBC News during a press call.

Greene added that the scale of the telecommunications systems breach is significant enough that it is “impossible” for agencies “to predict when we will have a full eviction,” the outlet reported.

An FBI official who asked to remain anonymous told NBC: “Individuals seeking to further protect their mobile device communications would benefit from considering using a cell phone that automatically receives operating system updates by timely, responsibly managed encryption, and phishing-resistant security tools,” such as multi-factor authentication. for email, social media and other accounts.

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A businessman holding a cell phone (istock/iStock)

CISA, the FBI, the National Security Agency and the cybersecurity agencies of Australia, Canada and New Zealand issued a warning about the Salt Typhoon breach on Wednesday, saying that “Affiliated with the People's Republic of China (PRC) Malicious actors compromised the networks of the world's leading telecommunications providers to carry out a large and significant cyberespionage campaign.

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The agencies have published a guide for network engineers and other network managers communications infrastructure to use best practices to harden their networks against exploitation by malicious cyber actors affiliated with the PRC and others. They added that the guide could also be relevant for “organizations with on-premises enterprise equipment.”