The FBI has issued a warning about cybersecurity risks related to text messaging between Android and Apple devices. This vulnerability arises from the differences in how these platforms handle communication protocols, making text messages vulnerable to interception. When sending texts between iPhones and Android devices, messages lack end-to-end encryption, leaving them open to hacking. While Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages utilize end-to-end encryption for communication between devices of the same platform, texts sent between iPhones and Android devices remain unprotected.

NBC News reports that a group of hackers, called “Salt Typhoon” and suspected to be based in China, recently infiltrated major U.S. telecommunications companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to spy on their customers. Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger revealed that the cyberattack's impact has spread beyond the U.S., affecting dozens of countries worldwide. A senior official disclosed that the hackers accessed significant amounts of phone data from American citizens, aiming to identify potential targets for more sophisticated espionage.

To improve security, the FBI recommends using encrypted messaging services such as Signal or WhatsApp, which offer end-to-end encryption to protect messages. End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can read the message, as it is scrambled and requires a "key" to decode. This means even the app's owner cannot access the message, even if required by a court order or during a breach.

Google Messages and iMessage also feature end-to-end encryption, but only for messages between devices of the same operating system. Users are further advised against relying on standard SMS or MMS messaging, as they lack sufficient protection against interception.

Jeff Greene, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), told NBC News, “Encryption is your friend, whether it's for text messaging or encrypted voice communication. Even if the adversary intercepts the data, encryption makes it unreadable.”

Additionally, an anonymous FBI official suggested that those seeking better security should use cellphones that receive regular operating system updates, devices with properly managed encryption, and accounts protected by phishing-resistant two-factor authentication.