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Encryption Issues Leave Your Text Messages in the Hands of Cybercriminals
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Have you ever wondered how secure your mobile conversations really are? It's not that no one cares about your grocery list or the gossip you have with your best friend, but we (most of us) think that our conversations are conversations that only reach no one, but now the FBI and CISA are warning us about something we could never imagine. With the massive cyberattacks that have occurred in recent years, traditional text messaging (what we know as SMS) is under scrutiny.
While it is true that we are currently talking to other instant messaging apps that have developed adequate privacy policies, SMS and RCS are quite behind in these areas, so they would be an easy target for a cybercriminal and not looking for a specific profile. But if your information falls into the wrong hands... oh.
Below, we explain everything we know and how to protect your confidential information. What's going on? A big problem: SMS and RCS are not end-to-end encrypted. What does this mean? Your messages can be intercepted at some point during their transmission. It may sound silly, but there are specialized hacking groups, like the one called "Salt Typhoon," that are allegedly linked to the Chinese government (and have already used special tools to access sensitive data in the United States). Although the direct theft of the message content has not been confirmed, the attackers obtained metadata (information that includes details such as who is communicating with whom, when and from where) enough to piece together a puzzle that compromises someone's privacy..)
Why should you worry? It doesn't matter that you are not an "important" person and you think that no one would want to read your messages, but the risks go beyond someone finding out that you have a secret. Cybercriminals can track your movements and create profiles with your data, sell your information, and even commit fraud with the information they have about you. The FBI especially emphasizes that citizens must protect themselves and be very careful about the information they provide through these channels.
Why is encryption so important? Think of encryption as a door to which only you and the other person have the key. The protection level of this door is maximum, right? Now imagine that someone could just knock on the door and it opens, exposing all of your information and your life, but with end-to-end encryption, they would just open the door and there would be nothing behind it.
What we mean by this is that end-to-end encryption is not foolproof, which means that messages can be intercepted, but at least they cannot identify or decipher them.
Tips to protect yourself
To improve your digital security, you don't need much, just be a little more careful and change a few things. Change your messaging app. There's Telegram, Whatsapp, Signal, and even iMessage for iPhone users, end-to-end encrypted platforms that are secure for keeping conversations going. Stop using SMS to communicate important things because it does not guarantee complete privacy (especially between users of different operating systems)
Don't be one of those who don't update their phone. Updates are necessary to protect against potential threats.
Always enable two-factor authentication (MFA)
Avoid suspicious messages. If you are not sure if the link they send you is real or not, it is better to be safe than sorry!
Experts like Jake Moore (from ESET) emphasize that encryption is not a luxury, but a necessity in today's digital world, as privacy is a right that we all must protect. Digital threats exist, but you are the one who can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and keep them away from you. Always remember to check that encryption is enabled and you will avoid any unnecessary damage!
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