The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning to Americans to stop using texting services that do not feature end-to-end encryption. The warning comes after Chinese hackers attacked Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies, gaining access to customer communications made through unencrypted text messages or phone calls.
The attack primarily affects users sending texts between an iPhone and an Android device, as messages sent between two phones with different types of devices are vulnerable to hacking. To mitigate this risk, officials recommend using encrypted services like WhatsApp or Signal for cross-platform messaging.
While the encryption used in these services prevents hackers from accessing the content of messages, it does not guarantee that all data associated with encrypted messages can be completely protected. The full eviction of Chinese hackers is currently unknown, and there is no set timeline for when this will happen.
Source: https://www.mlive.com/news/2024/12/fbi-issues-alarming-warning-about-your-text-message-data-following-cybersecurity-hack.html