For weeks now, the FBI has been warning about an alleged hacking campaign against big U.S. telecoms. Groups potentially linked to the Chinese government are reportedly looking to access classified information that could put U.S. national security at risk. In a new development, a senior U.S. official is recommending everyone turn to encryption amid Chinese intrusions.
Encryption is your friend against Chinese intrusions, says US security official
When the FBI reported the attack from China weeks ago, the agency said the campaign had been underway for at least eight months. Authorities believe there is still infiltration by Chinese groups into the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Washington has held meetings with both cybersecurity experts and mobile carrier executives to address the situation.
Meanwhile, Jeff Greene, a U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency official, recommended Americans use encryption in their telecommunications whenever possible. The official said phrases like “encryption is your friend” and “our advice is to avoid using plaintext.” There are now multiple platforms that offer encrypted calls and messaging. The list includes Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal, among others.
It’s noteworthy that the US security services do not know how long it will take to completely expel the suspected attackers from the US networks. “It would be impossible for us to predict when we’ll have full eviction,” Greene said.
The US government’s radical change of position regarding encryption
Greene’s advice offers clues about the severity of the alleged Chinese infiltration of American carriers. Until a few years ago, Washington’s stance on encryption was quite different. The government was in favor of eliminating such barriers on the grounds that it made investigations related to national security more difficult.
FBI Director Chris Wray even described encryption as “an urgent public safety issue” at the time. The government also tried to get Apple to break the encryption of iPhone devices in the middle of criminal investigations, which the company refused to do. Evidently, the government’s new stance is radically different—and much better.
According to the FBI, the attacks from China have targeted high-ranking US officials and law enforcement communication channels. Even the latest presidential candidates and their campaign staff have been at risk. The breach could have enabled the theft of call and SMS records. Hackers may even have intercepted ongoing calls from the hacked tech.
Meanwhile, China maintains a stance contrary to the FBI’s claims. Beijing “firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms,” according to officials.