The US government has issued a warning to senior officials and politicians to abandon regular phone calls and text messages in favor of end-to-end encrypted communications. This guidance comes after several major American telecommunications companies were compromised by Chinese hackers, dubbed “Salt Typhoon.” The group is believed to be linked to the Chinese government.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), individuals in senior government or political positions should use only end-to-end encrypted communications, such as WhatsApp, iMessage, or Signal. This is because regular phone calls and text messages are not end-to-end encrypted, making them vulnerable to monitoring by telephone companies, law enforcement, or hackers.
The compromise has been linked to a broader pattern of Chinese-linked cyber operations focused on critical infrastructure, with the Salt Typhoon group allegedly stealing metadata from thousands of Americans. The investigation is ongoing, but CISA has urged officials to take immediate action and adopt best practices for mobile device security.
Experts, including those at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have welcomed the guidance, citing the need for increased digital safety measures. However, some have expressed concern that this move may indicate a failure on the part of telecommunications companies to secure their networks.
As a result, CISA has recommended using only end-to-end encrypted communications, avoiding text messages based on one-time passwords, and using hardware keys to protect against phishing attacks. By adopting these security measures, officials can significantly reduce their risk of being targeted by hackers and ensure their communication remains confidential.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-cyber-watchdog-tells-senior-162416565.html