New York's Attorney General Issues Alert to iPhone and Android Users: Cease SMS Transactions Following Assaults
New York's Attorney General Issues Alert to iPhone and Android Users: Cease SMS Transactions Following Assaults
"New York residents believe their private text messages should be safeguarded," New York State Attorney General Letitia James stated on Thursday, "as we confront the possibility of organized assaults on our wireless networks." According to her, every New Yorker should be "equipped with the necessary information to safeguard themselves and their messages' privacy."
In essence—stop transmitting text messages and opt for a fully encrypted application instead. "Keep in mind that the majority of text messaging, including SMS, lacks encryption and hence could be read by an assailant who gains access to your provider's network." This follows nationwide warnings from the FBI and CISA that Americans should utilize encrypted messaging and calls whenever feasible. With China's "Salt typhoon hackers" continuing to infiltrate networks, the danger has not waned.
James also warned New Yorkers that not all encrypted platforms are equally secure. "When selecting a messaging app, be certain you understand what other data the app might collect or transmit, such as your location and profile picture, and whether that data is also encrypted," she suggested.
This mirrors the U.S. cyber defense agency's advice this week that encryption alone is not sufficient, that users should also consider the metadata captured and extracted by those apps, even if the content is secure. CISA praised Signal as a recommendation and failed to mention WhatsApp, which is the world's most popular secure messenger. WhatsApp collects metadata where Signal does not, which might be the reason for this recent shift in U.S. government messaging advice.
Although New Yorkers and all other Americans can cease texting friends, family, and colleagues, they will inevitably receive the usual stream of texts from elderly relatives and marketing firms. However, "if you must text," James warns, "avoid sending sensitive information, such as account numbers, medical records, or private photographs, and be wary of anyone who encourages you to do so."
Although these alerts primarily pertain to standard SMS—a poorly secure cellular messaging protocol, they have exposed vulnerabilities in even more recent platforms as well. RCS is SMS's successor, but its standard protocol lacks the end-to-end encryption that secures user content. As a result, numerous headlines have focused on Android and iPhone users not texting each other.
RCS has recently been integrated into Apple's iMessage platform, but without any additional security measures. Currently, iMessage and Google Messages users can securely message other iMessage or Google Messages users on the same platform, but not between each other.
Despite the metadata advisory, my recommendation remains to utilize WhatsApp as your daily messenger due to its wide reach and to use Signal for anything more sensitive or secure. That's not to claim that WhatsApp can access any of your content, but Signal is significantly more secure.
- In light of the FBI and CISA's nationwide warnings, it's advisable for New Yorkers to consider using encrypted messaging apps like Signal, as Android and iPhone users have recently been warned about not texting each other due to vulnerabilities in newer platforms.
- Amidst concerns of cyber threats, such as the ongoing activities of China's 'Salt typhoon hackers,' James warned that not all encrypted platforms provide equal security and urged New Yorkers to be vigilant about the data collected by their chosen messaging apps.
- Following the FBI's advice to utilize encrypted messaging and calls, New York residents should be aware of the encryption status of their devices, such as their Android or iPhone's support for fully encrypted messaging applications.
- To minimize the risk of data breaches, James suggested that New Yorkers adopt the use of fully encrypted applications like Signal rather than relying on mostly unencrypted SMS or its successor RCS, such as iMessage or Google Messages, which only provide end-to-end encryption within their respective user bases.
- In light of the potential threats posed by unencrypted messaging and phone calls, the FBI has issued a warning to "stop texting" and opt for encrypted messaging apps to protect their private information, following the lead of New York's Attorney General Letitia James.