New York State Attorney General Letitia James today issued a consumer alert urging New Yorkers to protect their privacy when using mobile phone messaging. The FBI and other federal agencies recently warned Americans of coordinated attacks on U.S. telecom wireless networks that may have allowed hackers to intercept texts and other messages. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is encouraging New Yorkers to take steps to protect themselves from these types of attacks.

“New Yorkers expect that their private text messages will be protected,” said Attorney General James. “As we face a warning of coordinated attacks on our wireless networks, every New Yorker should be informed about this situation and empowered with the information they need to keep themselves safe and their messages private. I urge everyone to remain vigilant and protect their personal information by following our important tips.”

Mobile apps that encrypt messages are a good way for users to protect themselves. Encryption is the process of scrambling a message to make it unreadable before it is sent. When the message arrives on the mobile device of the recipient, it can then be unencrypted and read by the intended recipient. 

Attorney General James recommends New York consumers follow these tips for selecting and using messaging apps to better protect their privacy:

• Remember that most text messaging, including SMS, is not encrypted and therefore could be read by an attacker that gets access to your provider’s network. 
• If possible, use a messaging app that utilizes encryption. When selecting a messaging app, make sure you understand what other information the app may collect or send, such as your location and profile picture, and whether that information is also encrypted.
• If you have to text, you should avoid sending sensitive information, such as account numbers, medical information, or sensitive photos, and be suspicious of anyone who asks you to do so.