After serious cyberattack on US provider: FBI promotes encryption

In light of a devastating cyberattack on US providers, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the cybersecurity agency CISA have called on people in the United States to encrypt their communications wherever possible. This was reported by various media outlets, citing two representatives of the authorities who spoke to the press. In the conversation, the two refused to set a timetable for when the attackers, who were allegedly operating from China, could be banned from the compromised networks.

Unusual advertising for encryption

"Encryption is our friend, whether it's text messaging or whether someone has the ability to encrypt voice," NBC News quotes Jeff Greene from CISA. Even if the adversary succeeds in intercepting data, it is impossible to access it. The FBI representative, who asked not to be named, added that people should consider using a smartphone that always receives timely updates for even more protection. In addition to encryption, multi-factor authentication and measures against phishing are also important.

The plea for more encryption makes it clear how serious the situation is considered to be by the US security authorities. Law enforcement agencies repeatedly argue against strong encryption, claiming that it makes investigations more difficult for criminals. This is why they often try to weaken encryption. If the FBI is now promoting more encryption, this shows how effective it is against espionage and surveillance, but also how dangerous the cyber attack is considered to be. Apparently, the US authorities are not expecting to force the attackers out of their systems any time soon.

Dramatic attack

The fact that attackers suspected of being in the service of the Chinese government succeeded in compromising the networks of AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and other providers became known at the beginning of October. The group called "Salt Typhoon", "GhostEmperor" or "FamousSparrow" was apparently concerned with gathering information. It was the "largest telecommunications hack in the history of the US – by far", said the chairman of the Senate committee responsible for intelligence services.

According to reports, the unknown attackers were able to access telephone calls in real time and eavesdrop on them. They would have targeted the phones of the next US President Donald Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance, among others. The total number of people affected could reach several million. However, there was probably no direct link to the US presidential election. The attackers were apparently also able to access other, more general internet data.

(mho)