Summary

The FBI and CISA are warning Americans about a large-scale Chinese cyberattack targeting US telecommunications networks. This attack compromised some call and text metadata, and in limited cases, content from government and political figures. The agencies urge citizens to utilize encrypted messaging and calls, highlighting the insecurity of cross-platform texting (like iPhone to Android). This warning ironically contrasts with the FBI's past criticisms of end-to-end encryption hindering investigations. While fully encrypted platforms like WhatsApp and Signal are recommended, the FBI emphasizes the importance of "responsible" encryption which allows for lawful data access.