NSA Warning: Change Your iPhone and Android Message Settings

The National Security Agency (NSA) has issued a warning to iPhone and Android users to change their message settings. The warning comes after an incident in which the NSA inadvertently eavesdropped on a government "eyes only" Signal group chat.

What's at Risk?

The NSA warns that even if you use secure messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp, your phone can still be vulnerable to hacking. This is because smartphones are consumer devices, not suitable for classified government conversations.

• Spyware companies sell capabilities to remotely hack smartphones for any country willing to pay
• Smartphones are prone to forensic exploits this year

The Real Threat: WhatsApp

While Signal has taken the headlines given the attack thread in the U.S., the bigger problem is actually WhatsApp. "It's a WhatsApp world at work now," per the Financial Times, and that's not always a good thing.

Gone are the days you could leave work apps to ping away all weekend, knowing they were unlikely to be asking anything more taxing than what time to meet for coffee or whether there was milk in the fridge. Now, even work colleagues and contacts begin to send messages over apps once confined to social life.

Setting Up Secure Messaging

To avoid the risks of eavesdropping on a Signal conversation, you need to set up your messaging app correctly. This includes:

• Keeping your phone updated
• Avoiding risky apps
• Stopping clicking on links or unexpected attachments

The Bottom Line

Whether you use WhatsApp or Signal, both are secure and recommended for use if used properly. But if you set them up wrong or neglect core phone updates, settings, and secure usage, they will fail.

Read the NSA's full advisory here