End-to-End Encrypted Texts Between Android and iPhone Coming Soon

Knifings, shootings, firebombings, and murder-for-hire schemes are all connected to the “No Lives Matter” splinter group within the 764 crime network.” According to its own manifesto, the group has published at least two “kill guides” connected to violent plots in the US and Europe and claims that its goal is to “purify mankind through endless attacks.” WIRED’s review of intelligence documents shows that analysts are becoming increasingly concerned about encrypted texts between android and iPhone, but experts are still unsure of how to stop the group’s spread.

After a botnet bombarded the social network with junk traffic in an effort to bring down its system, X encountered sporadic outages on Monday. According to Elon Musk, the distributed denial-of-service attack came from IP addresses in Ukraine, suggesting that the nation, which is already under siege by a Russian invasion and is regularly made fun of by the centibillionaire, might have been the source. This is not how DDoS attacks operate, according to security experts who spoke to WIRED.

Large-scale layoffs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are also harming US cyber defence and eroding defences against foreign enemies. Staff at the organization that protects cities, businesses, and nonprofits from cyberattacks have told reporters that critical staff cuts have left workers overworked and strained international partnerships. One employee remarks, “A lot of people are scared.” We are anticipating the other shoe dropping. We are unsure of what lies ahead. To help you make the most of Signal’s end-to-end encryption, we’ve updated our quick and simple guide to using the messaging app as WIRED immerses you in the agencies at the heart of the uncertainty and chaos of the second Trump administration.

And that’s not all. We compile the security and privacy stories that we didn’t personally cover in-depth every week. The full stories can be read by clicking on the headlines. And be careful when you’re out.

End-to-End Encrypted Texts Between Android and iPhone Are on the Way

There is more to those “green bubbles,” the cross-platform text messages that keep Android users in a group chat underclass and irritate iPhone owners, than just a cultural divide. Additionally, they pose a security risk: Dissimilar to blue-bubble iMessage texts or Android-to-Android messages, text messages sent between Android and iOS devices are not end-to-end encrypted, making them vulnerable to monitoring or interception. Perhaps that is finally changing now.

This week, the GSM Association—which creates many popular telecom standards—announced that its Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol will now allow end-to-end encryption for cross-platform texting. Apple also disclosed that it will incorporate this RCS feature into its iOS devices. Up until now, both Apple and Google had supported RCS’s other features in texts sent between iOS and Android. However, end-to-end encryption—which makes sure that only the devices sending and receiving messages can decrypt them—had not been implemented.

The exact launch date of the new privacy features has not been disclosed by Apple or the GSMA. It would be prudent for anyone sending cross-platform messages to continue using apps like WhatsApp or Signal, which have long offered end-to-end encryption and assisted Android and iPhone users in avoiding individual arguments over bubble colours.

Sean Plankey Nominated as Head of CISA, America’s Top Cybersecurity Agency

The White House has appointed Sean Plankey to lead CISA, the Department of Homeland Security division principally in charge of U.S. digital defence. Considered the front-runner for the position for a long time, Plankey held senior positions in US Cyber Command and held several cybersecurity positions during the first Trump administration. He held the position of weapons and tactics branch chief in that DOD agency that specialized in cyber offence, and for hacking operations in Afghanistan, he was awarded a Bronze Star. Chris Krebs, the former director of CISA, was scarcely criticized by the previous Trump administration for the agency’s struggles to secure elections and conflict misinformation. CISA, like many other federal agencies, has also accomplished hundreds of staff reductions in modern weeks. Near the end of his term, Krebs was fired in a Trump tweet after CISA called the 2020 election the “most secure in American history,” without providing any evidence to support Trump’s claims.”

Elon Musk Visits the National Security Agency

The National Security Agency has not been exempt from Elon Musk’s ruthless campaign to dismantle the federal government. Based on interviews with current and former US officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Musk had visited the intelligence agency in Fort Meade and met with leadership to discuss operational changes and staff reductions.

The NSA, one of the most protected divisions of US intelligence, has nevertheless been drawn into Musk’s sphere of influence. The tour of Fort Meade is just one example of how widespread his power is and how the wealthiest man in the world has been given unprecedented access to even the most classified federal operations.

The intelligence agency’s employees were notified of upcoming changes last month when they received emails offering deferred resignations. Then, one week prior to his trip, Musk made a public plea for the reorganization of the cybersecurity and intelligence organization. Musk posted to his social media platform X, saying, “The NSA needs an overhaul,” along with a graphic that appeared to be a mockery of the agency’s recruitment efforts. The graphic showed a group of college-aged people of colour and a list of universities where the NSA was conducting outreach.

A Buzzy Crypto Cracking Firm Had a Hidden CoFounder Accused of Sexual Assault

The cryptocurrency recovery company Unciphered has garnered media attention for its accomplishments in cracking whitehat wallets for clients who have lost access to their cryptocurrency wealth. For example, the business deciphered an encrypted IronKey USB drive model in the fall of 2023 that was thought to contain more than 7,000 bitcoins, which are now valued at well over half a billion dollars. According to The Washington Post, Morgan Marquis-Boire, a once-praised hacker and security researcher for Google and Citizen Lab who was later charged with sexually assaulting several women, was one of the co-founders of that business. Even many of the startup’s employees were unaware of Marquis-Boire’s alleged involvement, which has left the cybersecurity community largely in disarray. The Post claims that the company is in “disarray” as a result of the disclosure of his role.

A Reporter Behind an Indian Hacker-for-Hire Story Is Fighting to Regain His Citizenship

One of the Reuters reporters, Raphael Satter, contributed to an in-depth article about Appin Technology, a startup that allegedly hacked a number of civil society and celebrity targets for customers, in November 2023. A group with the same name filed a lawsuit in response, and the court’s decision temporarily successfully censored the Reuters story—a notable instance of an Indian judge limiting free speech abroad. After that story was published, Satter is now engaged in a different battle. The judge filed the injunction in late 2023, and at about the same time, his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card—a form of international citizenship granted to foreign nationals of Indian descent and those married to Indians—was annulled. In December of that year, Satter was accused in a letter of “maliciously creating adverse and biased opinion against Indian institutions in the international arena.” Since that revocation has incarcerated him from travelling to India to see relatives, Satter is now asking a Delhi court to upheave it.

Conclusion

The evolving landscape of cybersecurity and universal security threats highlights significant aftercare, from revolutionary groups spreading violence to cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure. Major developments, such as Apple and Google’s push for end-to-end encryption, the appointment of Sean Plankey to lead CISA, and Elon Musk’s increasing influence over national security, contemplate the shifting dynamics in digital defence.

Neeraj Gupta

Neeraj is a Content Strategist at The Next Tech. He writes to help social professionals learn and be aware of the latest in the social sphere. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology and is currently helping his brother in the family business. When he is not working, he’s travelling and exploring new cult.

Follow us :