BOSTON – The FBI is warning that text messages between Apple and Android devices could be intercepted by foreign hackers.
270,000 text messages are sent worldwide every second and the FBI is now warning that the Chinese government can see your messages.
A senior FBI official said the agency began investigating the activities in late spring and early summer of this year and “revealed a broad and significant cyberespionage campaign.”
“Since the FBI first identified specific malicious activity targeting the industry, we have identified that PRC-affiliated cyber actors have compromised networks of multiple telecom companies to enable multiple activities,” the senior FBI official said.
A targeted attack
Cybersecurity expert Peter Tran says this is a targeted attack, but probably not aimed at you. “The sky is not falling. There is nothing to panic about,” Tran said.
The senior FBI official said “the actors compromised the private communications of a limited number” of people involved in government or politics.
“It was interested in this political climate around certain individuals who are of great value to the Chinese government in terms of the information they can get out of it,” Tran said.
How to protect your privacy
“So the rule of thumb is don’t text anything that you wouldn’t say on a megaphone in the middle of Harvard Square,” Tran said. Such as your social security number or your credit card details.
If you are concerned about hackers in your texts, you can use encrypted programs such as WhatsApp or Telegram. A foolproof way to protect your text messages is to simply pick up the phone and call.
The FBI said people who want to protect their communications should consider using a cell phone that automatically receives operating system updates.
Kristina Rex
