Despite the growing popularity of instant messaging apps, traditional text messages (SMS) continue to serve as an important communication channel. In light of this, the FBI in the United States warns about the consequences of exchanging texts messages between Android and Apple phones.
According to a recent report by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), SMS remains essential in sectors such as banking, commerce, and security. Verification codes and transaction alerts are just a few examples of its usefulness in the digital age.
In Mexico, according to Statista, the use of short text messages (SMS) has decreased year by year among users. TELCEL was the most used operator for such services, as approximately 65% of the total volume was sent through this mobile provider in 2021.
Text Messages Amid the Rising Threat of Cyberattacks
Government officials have warned smartphone users to stop sending text messages amidst the growing threat of cyberattacks.
Malicious agents suspected to be from China, nicknamed Salt Typhoon, hacked telecommunications companies such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon this year to spy on customers in one of the largest intelligence breaches in the country’s history, according to NBC News.
Last Wednesday, the White House revealed that at least eight major U.S. telecommunications companies were compromised in the cyber-espionage attacks, which are “ongoing and likely larger in scale than previously believed,” according to the Daily Mail.
“Our suggestion, which we’ve communicated internally, isn’t new here: encryption is your friend, whether for text messages or if you have the ability to use encrypted voice communication,” said Jeff Greene, Executive Assistant Director of Cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to NBC News.
“Even if the adversary intercepts the data, if it’s encrypted, it will be useless,” he added.
An FBI official who requested anonymity advised users seeking more secure communication methods to consider “a mobile phone that automatically receives timely operating system updates, responsibly managed encryption, and phishing-resistant two-factor authentication” for personal accounts, according to NBC News.
Additionally, officials revealed the three types of data accessed by cybercriminals: call logs and metadata, live phone calls, and certain systems used by law enforcement to trace communications.
Last month, Senator Mike Rounds (Republican of South Dakota), a member of the cybersecurity subcommittee of the U.S. Armed Services Committee, warned that “unless you’re using a specialized application,” anyone could be “subject to review” by the Chinese government, despite the country denying cyber-espionage attacks.
While Google Messages and iMessage have end-to-end encryption, text messages between iPhones and Android devices are not protected and are potentially vulnerable to hackers. Instead, users can download apps like WhatsApp and Signal to communicate through encrypted messages.
Greene encouraged Americans to “use encrypted communications where available,” as officials are unsure if all malicious actors have been expelled from telecommunications networks.
“We cannot say with certainty that the adversary has been expelled,” Greene told Politico. “We are aware of their tracking… but we cannot confidently say we know everything, nor can our partners.”
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