The U.S. government is urging senior officials and politicians to stop relying on traditional phone calls and text messages, citing recent breaches at major telecommunications firms linked to Chinese hackers. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released guidance Wednesday emphasizing the need for secure, end-to-end encrypted communication.
“Individuals who are in senior government or senior political positions should immediately review and apply these best practices,” CISA stated. Among the recommendations: avoid unencrypted communication and instead use platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage, Signal, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom, which offer end-to-end encryption.
This push comes in response to cyber intrusions by a group known as “Salt Typhoon,” allegedly backed by the Chinese government. According to U.S. officials, the hackers compromised at least eight American telecommunications firms, stealing vast amounts of metadata and potentially exposing sensitive information.
Largest Telecom Hack in U.S. History?
Democratic Senator Ben Ray Luján called the breaches “likely the largest telecommunications hack in our nation’s history.” Officials remain uncertain about how to neutralize the ongoing espionage campaign.
CISA’s Jeff Greene described the attacks as part of a broader effort by China to infiltrate critical infrastructure, including utilities. “This is ongoing PRC activity that we need to prepare for and defend against for the long term,” Greene said.
The Case for Encryption
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can access communication data. Without it, traditional phone calls and text messages are vulnerable to surveillance by telecom companies, law enforcement, or hackers.
The new guidance also warns against using text-based one-time passwords for account verification and advocates for hardware security keys to prevent phishing attacks.
Reaction and Concerns
Experts welcomed the recommendations but voiced concern over the state of U.S. telecom security. “This guidance is a huge indictment of the telecoms that run the nation’s infrastructure,” said Cooper Quintin, a senior technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Tom Hegel, a cybersecurity researcher at SentinelOne, added that adopting secure communications will also thwart other hackers, not just those linked to China. “A wide variety of spies and hackers stand to lose valuable access if these measures are adopted,” he said.
The CISA guidelines reflect the increasing complexity and stakes of cybersecurity in an era where traditional communication methods are no longer safe for those handling sensitive information.