FBI Sends Out Warning To Android And iPhone Users

The FBI has sent out a warning to Android and iPhone users to stop sending unencrypted texts.

The warning comes after the Salt Typhoon hack of several telecommunications companies in the United States.

The FBI shared that the Salt Typhone hack by Chinese hackers compromised Android and iPhone users’ texts.

Fox News reported, “The hackers accessed call records, live phone calls of certain specific targets and systems companies use to handle court orders from law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track calls.”

As officials look to secure the breach, CISA and the FBI encourage Americans to use encrypted text services.

The FBI has issued a warning to iPhone and Android users regarding the security of their communication as text messages between Apple and Android devices are not encrypted and could be intercepted by foreign hackers. https://t.co/LEnJOXn64K pic.twitter.com/cmgOQ9aAUm

— ABC News (@ABC) December 7, 2024

Per Fox News:

The FBI and a leading federal cybersecurity agency are warning Android and iPhone users to stop sending unencrypted texts to users of the other operating system after the Salt Typhoon hack of several major U.S. telecommunications providers.

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Officials with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are warning that the Salt Typhoon cyber breach, which was conducted by actors in China, targeted telecom firms.

The hackers accessed call records, live phone calls of certain specific targets and systems companies use to handle court orders from law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track calls.While the breach is yet to be remediated, officials are encouraging users to communicate using encrypted messaging systems. Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android smartphones have encryption for iPhone-to-iPhone messaging and Android-to-Android messaging, respectively, but messages between Android and iPhone users aren’t encrypted.

The FBI warns iPhone and Android users that Chinese hackers may be able to see text messages between devices. 😳‼️ pic.twitter.com/IMHAQXUtJB

— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) December 7, 2024

Per USA Today:

Hackers could be after your text messages. Especially vulnerable: texts between Android and Apple devices.

Three weeks ago the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) revealed that hackers connected with the People’s Republic of China had infiltrated the U.S. telecom infrastructure as part of “a broad and significant cyber espionage campaign.”

Those targeted were “a limited number of individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity,” the agencies said at the time. Stolen were customer call records data and “certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders,” the agencies said.

However, the hackers are apparently still at work and cybersecurity officials said this week they haven’t been able to evict them from the networks of some telecom and internet firms.