US officials have issued a stark warning to smartphone users, advising them to avoid sending text messages due to a massive and ongoing cyber attack against telecommunications companies. The warning, which comes as part of a broad effort to curb the impact of the attack, encourages people to use encrypted messaging services like Signal or WhatsApp to protect their communications.
The cyber attack, known as Salt Typhoon, is believed to be the work of Chinese hackers, according to the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). These agencies have linked the cyber campaign to state-sponsored actors with ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), who are targeting telecom providers to steal sensitive data and conduct cyber espionage.
Chinese Hackers Target Telecoms
“Threat actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are targeting commercial telecommunications providers to compromise sensitive data and engage in cyber espionage,” said Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
As part of a coordinated response to the ongoing threat, the FBI, along with other federal agencies, has issued guidance to help defenders improve visibility into networks and secure devices against exploitation. The Salt Typhoon attack has been described as one of the most significant cyber incidents to date, with some lawmakers calling it “the worst telecom hack in our nation’s history.”
FBI Director Chris Wray has previously emphasized the importance of strong encryption, calling it “an urgent public safety issue.” Recent reports suggest that hackers remain inside the networks of major telecom companies, including T-Mobile, despite ongoing efforts to remove them.
The Importance of Encryption
With the scale and impact of the attack growing, US officials are urging individuals to use encryption as a key defense. “Our suggestion, what we have told folks internally, is not new here: Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or if you have the capacity to use encrypted voice communication,” Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, stated in a recent briefing.
Encryption, which secures data by making it unreadable without a key, is seen as one of the most effective ways to protect sensitive information from interception. If hackers gain access to telecom networks but encounter encrypted communications, the data remains secure.
Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, highlighted the unprecedented scale of the Salt Typhoon operation. Speaking to the Washington Post, he explained, “This is an ongoing effort by China to infiltrate telecom systems around the world, to exfiltrate huge amounts of data.” He further emphasized that encryption could render stolen data useless. “Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible,” he said.
The Ongoing Threat
The Salt Typhoon campaign has already led to the theft of vast amounts of data, including intercepted phone calls, according to US officials. As per The Independent, Jeff Greene from CISA noted that it is difficult to predict when the hackers will be removed from the networks. “It would be impossible to predict when the hackers might be evicted from the phone networks,” he stated.
As the situation continues to develop, US officials are urging all telecom users to adopt encrypted messaging options and remain vigilant against the risks posed by the ongoing cyber attack.
This warning highlights the growing challenges posed by state-sponsored cyber threats and the critical importance of securing communication channels against potential exploitation.
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