142
submitted 3 weeks ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Summary

U.S. officials are urging Americans to use encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp after a massive cyberespionage campaign, dubbed “Salt Typhoon,” targeted telecom giants AT&T, Verizon, and others.

Linked to Chinese hackers, the attack compromised call metadata, live phone calls, and sensitive surveillance systems used by law enforcement.

Officials warn the breach is unresolved and emphasize encryption to safeguard communications.

The hack is seen as a major intelligence-gathering effort rather than election interference.

all 17 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 49 points 3 weeks ago

good luck trying to get everyone you talk to to get on board, with everyone just going about life as if we haven't just switched to fascist dictatorship

the vast, vast majority of people didn't care about the surveillance when snowden spelled it out; they don't care now, and they won't ever care

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 14 points 3 weeks ago

Not to mention that for years, they've been pushing the narrative that using encryption means you have something to hide, and you're probably a terrorist. And that gives them the right to mandate backdoors and break encryption.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago

Have they really been pushing that? I have only heard it from stupid individuals and never the government or even the media.

[-] lonerangers1@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

I keep spouting off about how cops use geofencing and a bunch of peter theil tangent companies are contracting with cops. Flock safety is selling cops drones and leasing cameras to cops, they also use the cops to get companies to install backdoor access to their cameras. So clever to use cops as sales and pr. But no one reads about it. They just listen to the capitalist media spew how 90% of crime is now solved thanks to this company, and other erroneous statements. The propaganda is wildly out of control.

[-] electricyarn@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Crime is solved but also the cities are so dangerous now.

[-] lonerangers1@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Do you live in a city? Wheres this danger at? My city keeps getting safer year after year.

[-] lonerangers1@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

90% of crime is indeed not solved by these companies. They are lying and the cops and media parrot the bullshit. No one is in a position to criticize them. The cops are their PR and sales team.

[-] irotsoma@lemmy.world 25 points 3 weeks ago

But they want backdoors in the encryption...because it's too much work to go through proper channels to get data for themselves. Can't have it both ways. If LE is going to have access then hackers are going to have access through the same means. Whether it's companies that give LE a backdoor into their systems or the encryption itself has a backdoor, the weakest link is the only relevant measure of security.

[-] Emberleaf@lemmy.ml 15 points 3 weeks ago

I've been trying to get my family to use encrypted chat apps like Signal FOR YEARS. They just don't give a shit. Convenience is more of a priority for them. Unfortunately, I think this is true of most people.

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

But I thought encryption was bad and un-American?

[-] Limonene@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

What options are there? Signal is not viable, because it requires a special type of phone number to sign up, so can't be used on desktop. WhatsApp is proprietary. Matrix took me 8 tries to find a server that would let me sign up, and then the client wouldn't allow me to send private messages.

[-] snowsuit2654@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

What's the signal issue? I use signal on my desktop. Can you not create an account without a phone number? I thought they added usernames a while back.

Edit: nevermind, it appears you do still need to provide a phone number to sign up, even with the usernames and desktop clients.

[-] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

I use Matrix for private messages. If you found a server that suits you, it might be worthwhile to try it with a different client.

[-] SplooshArmstrong@lemmynsfw.com 0 points 3 weeks ago

I hear this and think of the Anom phone suspiciously...

this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
142 points (100.0% liked)

News

23655 readers
5158 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS