Zack WhittakerDec 3, 2024

I can't tell you what an incredible headline this is, given the decades(!) of pressure by the U.S. government advocating for technological backdoors, and all it had to take was China breaching some of America's biggest phone networks to get here.

"U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid unprecedented cyberattack." — @kevincollier

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/us-officials-urge-americans-use-encrypted-apps-cyberattack-rcna182694

U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid cyberattack

Amid an unprecedented cyberattack on telecommunications companies such as AT&T and Verizon, U.S. officials have recommended that Americans use encrypted messaging apps to ensure their communications stay hidden from foreign hackers.

NBC News
Show threadA
@zackwhittaker @kevincollier what is an encrypted app exactly? Are they saying my text messaging app and my phone calls are at risk and an end to end encrypted app is required in place of those things? What about my banking app, email etc. I'm not in the US.
Dec 3, 2024 at 11:50pmTusky
Show threadEthan ClarkDec 4, 2024
@Moodre @zackwhittaker @kevincollier Basically: with unencrypted communication, the people responsible for getting your data from point A to point B can read it, or even modify it. E2E encryption encodes the data during transport so it’s effectively jibberish to everyone but the sender/receiver.
Show threadLisa SkyDec 4, 2024
@Moodre text messages are about as secure as standing on the street and shouting. An exaggeration, but only slightly. Signal etc are encrypted. Email and your banking app should be encrypted. Hopefully. You can check their details, keep them updated.