Americans are being strongly encouraged to use encrypted messaging and calling apps to protect their personal information from potential exposure to foreign hackers still lurking in U.S. telecom networks.
Officials from the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued the advice in the wake of a recent hacking incident linked to the Chinese group “Salt Typhoon,” NBC News reports.
The breach, first disclosed in October, targeted major telecom providers like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Lumen Technologies. Among the compromised data were phone records, call times, and in some cases, live call access. According to The Wall Street Journal, even unencrypted text messages may have been exposed, and targets included phone numbers associated with the Trump and Harris campaigns.
Jeff Greene, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity, emphasized the importance of encryption during a press briefing. “Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or voice communication,” Greene said. “Even if adversaries intercept the data, encryption renders it useless to them.” Apps like Signal and WhatsApp, which offer end-to-end encryption, are examples of tools that can help secure private communications.
The ongoing cleanup from the Salt Typhoon attack has proven complex, with Greene admitting that a “full eviction” of malicious actors from telecom systems could take considerable time.
Interestingly, this embrace of encrypted communication marks a notable shift for federal agencies like the FBI, which has previously voiced concerns over the challenges encryption poses for law enforcement. While the FBI officially supports encryption, it has also pushed for ways to access encrypted data during criminal investigations—a stance that has put it at odds with tech companies.
One high-profile clash came in 2015, after Apple refused to unlock an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino shooting, citing broader privacy concerns. The FBI eventually accessed the phone through other means, but the debate over balancing security and privacy persists.
For now, U.S. officials are urging citizens to proactively protect their communications by using encryption, especially as the fallout from the telecom breach continues to unfold.
