https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2024/12/05/fbi-warns-iphone-and-android-users-stop-sending-texts/Timing is everything. Just as Apple’s adoption of RCS had seemed to signal a return to text messaging versus the unstoppable growth of WhatsApp, then along comes a surprising new hurdle to stop that in its tracks. While messaging Android to Android or iPhone to iPhone is secure, messaging from one to the other is not.
Now even the FBI and CISA, the US cyber defense agency, are warning Americans to use responsibly encrypted messaging and phone calls where they can. The backdrop is the Chinese hacking of US networks that is reportedly “ongoing and likely larger in scale than previously understood.” Fully encrypted comms is the best defense against this compromise, and Americans are being urged to use that wherever possible.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-agencies-brief-senators-chinese-salt-typhoon-telecom-hacking-2024-12-04/WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - U.S. government agencies held a classified briefing for all senators on Wednesday on China's alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to burrow deep into American telecommunications companies and steal data about U.S. calls.
The FBI, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the National Security Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were among the participants in the closed-door briefing, officials told Reuters.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden told reporters after the briefing he was working to draft legislation on this issue, while Senator Bob Casey said he had "great concern" about the breach and added it may not be until next year before Congress can address the issue.
Republican Senator Rick Scott expressed frustration with the briefing. "They have not told us why they didn't catch it; what they could have done to prevent it."
