Only Use Encrypted Apps to Communicate, Says FBI

It used to be that if you wanted to talk with anyone who wasn’t in the same building as you, your only choices were calling them on a landline phone or sending snail mail. But now we can also send emails and text messages, and we’ve very much come to rely on texting. The FBI, though, is saying it’s not safe and that we should only use encrypted apps.

The FBI Voices Its Fears

Some believe that China is hacking U.S. networks and that it’s “ongoing and likely larger in scale than previously understood.” They believe the Salt Typhoon network, in association with China’s Ministry of Public Security, is behind the cyberattacks. However, the potential for communication to be intercepted is nothing new.

Because of this, two officials with the CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) and FBI advised Americans to “use your encrypted communications where you have it … we definitely need to do that, kind of look at what it means long-term, how we secure our networks.”

They also reportedly said that “Americans should use encrypted apps for all their communications.” While encrypted data could still be intercepted, it would be of no use to the cybercriminals.

iOS, Android, and RCS

Just this year, Apple finally came around and made changes to allow iMessage to use the cross-platform RCS, which replaced SMS, to communicate with Android. While this is great news for everyone, RCS does not have end-to-end encryption.

Following the fears of the FBI and CISA, if you’re texting someone cross-platform, your conversation is vulnerable to Chinese cyberattacks. However, if you are texting iOS to iOS or Android to Android, both platforms have end-to-end encryption, so your conversations can not be interpreted.

GSMA and Google have promised that encryption will be added to RCS, yet there’s no suggested date for it. The advice from the FBI and CISA to eschew the native apps in favor of third-party apps with end-to-end encryption (such as WhatsApp), no matter who you’re messaging, it should be enough to light a fire under Google.

The FBI, CISA, and NSA, and other agencies in the “Five Eyes,” released a joint alert to telecommunication companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile, etc. The alert asked them to be vigilant and harden their network devices against the Chinese cyberattack efforts.

I have to admit that I haven’t been too worried when I send text messages, but that’s because I’m using an iPhone or iPad, and I know there is great security. However, I was not aware that once Apple finally adopted RCS, it meant that my messages to Android friends weren’t encrypted. This is making me rethink my actions.

Image credit: Unsplash

Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.