FBI and CISA officials said it was impossible to predict when the telecommunications companies would be fully safe from interlopers.

Summary

U.S. officials are urging Americans to use encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp after a massive cyberespionage campaign, dubbed “Salt Typhoon,” targeted telecom giants AT&T, Verizon, and others.

Linked to Chinese hackers, the attack compromised call metadata, live phone calls, and sensitive surveillance systems used by law enforcement.

Officials warn the breach is unresolved and emphasize encryption to safeguard communications.

The hack is seen as a major intelligence-gathering effort rather than election interference.

  • @Limonene
    2•9 hours ago

    What options are there? Signal is not viable, because it requires a special type of phone number to sign up, so can’t be used on desktop. WhatsApp is proprietary. Matrix took me 8 tries to find a server that would let me sign up, and then the client wouldn’t allow me to send private messages.

    • @[email protected]English
      4•4 hours ago

      What’s the signal issue? I use signal on my desktop. Can you not create an account without a phone number? I thought they added usernames a while back.

      Edit: nevermind, it appears you do still need to provide a phone number to sign up, even with the usernames and desktop clients.

    • mox
      1•5 hours ago

      I use Matrix for private messages. If you found a server that suits you, it might be worthwhile to try it with a different client.

    • @[email protected]English
      1•9 hours ago

      Try SimpleX, it works. I only have 3 complains about it:

      • Adding people is kind of a hassle
      • Groups are limited to 200 users (only applies if you need more)
      • The desktop and smartphone can’t be used in sync at the same time
      • mox
        3•3 hours ago
        • Drops messages if they’re not picked up within (by default) 21 days.
        • Can’t use one account on multiple independent devices.
        • Adding contacts requires copy/paste of a large link or QR code; can’t just tell them a short address over the phone.
        • No group calls.
        • Venture capital funding makes its future uncertain.

        Last time I investigated it was a few months ago; it’s possible that it might have made some improvements since then.