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US cyber watchdog seeks switch to encrypted apps following 'Salt Typhoon'
hacks

by Reuters

   WASHINGTON --

   The U.S. cybersecurity watchdog CISA is telling senior American
   government officials and politicians to immediately switch to
   end-to-end encrypted messaging following intrusions at major American
   telecoms blamed on Chinese hackers.

   In written guidance released on Wednesday, the Cybersecurity and
   Infrastructure Security Agency said "individuals who are in senior
   government or senior political positions" should "immediately review
   and apply" a series of best practices around the use of mobile devices.

   The first recommendation: "Use only end-to-end encrypted
   communications."

   End-to-end encryption -- a data protection technique that aims to make
   data unreadable by anyone except its sender and its recipient -- is
   baked into various chat apps, including Meta Platforms' WhatsApp,
   Apple's iMessage, and the privacy-focused app Signal. Corporate
   offerings, which allow end-to-end encryption, also include Microsoft's
   Teams and Zoom Communications' meetings.

   CISA's message is the latest in a series of increasingly stark warnings
   issued by American officials in the wake of dramatic hacks of U.S.
   telecom companies by a group dubbed "Salt Typhoon."

   Last week, Democratic Senator Ben Ray Lujan said, "this attack likely
   represents the largest telecommunications hack in our nation's
   history."

   U.S. officials have blamed China for the hacking. Beijing routinely
   denies allegations of cyberespionage.

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