12/08/2024

Start Using Encrypted Communications Today

Government officials are urging businesses to better protect their communications

If you're concerned about the privacy of your communications, "encryption is your friend." That's the surprisingly blunt assessment of Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, the federal outfit charged with protecting our data, in light of the ongoing compromise of the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.

Speaking alongside a senior official from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Greene described ongoing mitigation efforts and offered advice on how companies can protect themselves from unwanted intrusions. Since October, U.S. intelligence agencies have been sounding the alarm about a Chinese hacking group known as Salt Typhoon that has infiltrated telecoms companies and internet service providers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, by targeting existing vulnerabilities.

It's believed to be one of the largest cyberespionage campaigns ever made public. On Wednesday, officials revealed that mobile phone metadata—information about when a call took place and with whom—from a significant number of Americans had been compromised. In some cases, the hackers accessed calls and texts of major political and government targets, reportedly including Donald Trump and JD Vance.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.