FBI urges Apple and Android users to stop sending SMS
Have you ever wondered how secure your mobile conversations really are? It’s not that no one is interested in knowing your shopping list or the gossip you have with your best friend, but we do believe (most of us) that our conversations are conversations that only reach the person we are talking to, but now, the FBI and CISA are warning us of something we could never imagine. With the massive cyberattacks that have been taking place in recent years, traditional text messages (which we know as SMS) are under scrutiny.
While it is true that at this time we maintain conversations with other instant messaging applications that have fairly developed privacy policies, SMS and RCS have fallen quite far behind in these terms, so they would be an easy target for a cybercriminal, and they are not looking for any specific profile, but if your information falls into the wrong hands… ouch.
Below we tell you everything we know and how to protect your confidential information.
One central problem: SMS and RCS lack end-to-end encryption. What does this mean? Your messages can be intercepted at some point in transmission. It may seem silly, but there are specialized hacker groups, such as the so-called “Salt Typhoon”, which are allegedly linked to the Chinese government (and have already used special tools to access sensitive data in the United States).
Although the direct theft of the content of the messages has not been confirmed, the attackers have obtained metadata (information that includes details such as who communicates with whom, when and from where, enough to put together a puzzle that compromises anyone’s privacy…)
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an “important” person and you think no one would want to read your messages, but the risks go beyond someone finding out you have a secret. Cybercriminals can track your movements and create profiles with your data, sell your information and even commit fraud with the information they have about you. Above all, the FBI emphasizes that citizens must protect themselves and take great care with the information they give through these channels.
Think of encryption as a door to which only you have the key, you and the person you’re talking to. The level of protection of that door is maximum, right? Now imagine if anyone could simply knock on the door and it would open, exposing all your information and your life, but with end-to-end encryption, they would simply open the door and there would be nothing behind it.
What we mean by this is that end-to-end encryption is not foolproof, meaning that messages can be intercepted but at least they will not be able to identify or decrypt them.
To improve your digital security, you don’t need much, just be a little more aware and change a few things.
Experts such as Jake Moore (from ESET) emphasize that encryption is not a luxury, but a necessity in today’s digital world, because privacy is a right that we must all protect.
Digital threats are out there, but it’s you who can stay ahead of cybercriminals and keep them away from you. Always remember to check that encryption is enabled and you’ll avoid unnecessary harm!
© 2024 Unión Rayo
© 2024 Unión Rayo

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