Did you see recently where the FBI recommended that EVERYONE should be using encrypted messaging apps? A Chinese hacking group has breached standard SMS communications and has been sitting in on lots of traffic. Encrypted messaging is not the paranoid arena for your neighborhood conspiracy theorists – it’s a necessity in today’s security environment. The days are over when you could simply follow the “don’t share your Social Security number” advice and keep your Norton antivirus up to date. The threat environment to every user of every internet-connected device, from smartphone or computer, is a clear and present danger. Of course, you as a business owner have greater exposure and risk than the average bear, and you’ll need to consider what steps to take to reduce that risk.
National security analysts say that while they don’t know the exact scope of the breach, it is clearly massive and wide-ranging. This hack included, for example, the breaches of both political campaigns in the recent election cycle. But it also captured substantial amounts of “normal people” traffic from major telecommunications companies Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen. As most coverage of this event points out, iPhone-to-iPhone to Android-to-Android communications are automatically encrypted. However, since virtually everyone in the universe communicates across those device platforms (iPhone to Android and vice versa), and since it would be a giant hassle to remember which of your family, friends, and colleagues are which device, it’s best practice to move all communication over to an encrypted app.
Again, as a business owner, you need to figure out how your employees are communicating and immediately ensure that vital information is not being shared over standard SMS. It is not difficult to imagine scenarios where employees, for the sake of convenience, are sharing information with colleagues, vendors, or customers over compromised channels. If your organization uses Teams, for example, make sure that team members use the Teams app (protected with multi-factor authentication) to communicate. If other options are necessary for your situation, consider apps for encrypted communication (and you should do this in your personal life in addition to your professional one).
Popular platforms that fit the bill include WhatsApp and Signal. Both offer encrypted text and calling, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Signal seems to be the more private of the two. WhatsApp, since it is owned by Meta, collects more user information than does Signal. Signal also has better security features and customization options. However, WhatsApp is more popular, so you may find more of your contacts there than in Signal.
Consult with your IT MSP on other basic security necessities in today’s threat environment, including multi-factor authentication, password protection options, end-point protection, network monitoring, and backup services. Remember: the cybersecurity rules have changed fundamentally since the days when Norton or McAfee was “enough” protection. You must be more astute than ever in assessing your cyber risk and protecting your business.