Federal authorities announced hackers in China have stolen "customer call records data" of an unknown number of Americans, but encrypted messaging could be the first line of defense for people in the U.S. to secure their communications amid this cyber threat.
The "cyber espionage campaign" was announced by the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in mid-November. The agencies identified that the China-affiliated hackers "compromised networks at multiple telecommunications companies" to enable the theft of customer call records, according to FBI and CISA's release.
In November, the agencies said the hackers compromised "a limited number of individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity," the release reads.
Last week, the agencies published a joint guide to better protect U.S. citizens from being compromised by the campaign. In the guide titled "Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure, the agencies suggest end-to-end encryption as a solution.
"The PRC-affiliated cyber activity poses a serious threat to critical infrastructure, government agencies, and businesses," Jeff Greene, CISA executive assistant director for cybersecurity, said in a Dec. 3 news release. "Along with our US and international partners, we urge software manufacturers to incorporate Secure by Design principles into their development lifecycle to strengthen the security posture of their customers."
Here is how to switch to encrypted messaging and what applications offer this feature.
End-to-end encryption is a "security method that keeps your communications secure," according to Google.
"With end-to-end encryption, no one, including Google and third parties, can read eligible messages as they travel between your phone and the phone you message," according to the tech company.
In addition to Google, several other applications offer encrypted features, including Signal and Meta-owned WhatsApp.
"Signal is the easiest and works out of the box by default for everyone. WhatsApp is fine but collects more metadata," Thorin Klosowski, a security and privacy activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the Washington Post.
Apple's iMessage is also end-to-end encrypted, according to the company.
"There's no way for Apple to decrypt the content of your conversations when they are in transit between devices," the company's message and privacy policy states.
Other messengers such as Telegram, Session, Briar and Threema all offer end-to-end encrypted messaging. Facebook's Messenger app is also end-to-end encrypted, a feature that became default last year.
The best way to switch to end-to-end encrypted messaging is to begin using applications that support it, including WhatsApp, iMessage and Signal.
Also, before users send messages, they have to know that if someone screenshots or shares what they said or sent, then encryption features won't help them. This includes sending direct messages on X, TikTok, or even Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Some applications, like Signal, have the option of disappearing messages. This can wipe conversations or messages clear once they are opened. On Apple devices, users can set all messages to only be saved for a set amount of time, such as a month or a week.
Multi-factor authentication can also be used for sensitive accounts rather than just using a password to log in. This acts as extra security for those accounts.