COMPUTICA

So, what's this all about you say?

In simple terms, it's been suspected that China has hacked into the US cellphone carriers and has access to phone call data, calls and texts.

While the FBI is warning say to "stop sending texts", what they are actually saying is to "stop sending texts between Apple and Android phones" since messages between dissimilar operating systems are not encrypted/secure. Apple to Apple IS secure and Android to Android IS secure, but when going from one OS to the other, it's NOT secure.
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Here's some more info:

While you can technically text between an iPhone and an Android phone, it's generally recommended to avoid doing so because the messaging experience is often less functional and secure compared to texting between two iPhones or two Android phones due to limitations in the standard SMS/MMS protocols, which lack advanced features like read receipts and high-quality media sharing; this is often visually indicated by the "green bubble" on an iPhone when texting with an Android user.

If you have an iPhone and text someone and get a green text bubble from them, that usually indicates that they have an Android and thus the texts will not be encrypted/secure.

There is a new service for texting that can replace SMS/MMS testing (the current/old methods) and is called RCS (Rich Communication Services). This allows more compatibility between Apple and Android devices when texting such as better photos, etc. However, RCS messaging between an Apple iPhone and an Android device is not considered secure because it does not offer end-to-end encryption when sending messages between different operating systems; meaning a third party could potentially intercept and read your messages.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If you have information to send someone that should remain private (passwords, PINs, SSN, bank account info, etc.), then either:

1. Make sure you're communicating with a phone that has the same OS (Apple iOS or Android) to make sure it's secure

OR

2. Get something else (3rd party app) such as Signal, WhatsApp or Telegram. I've looked at these three option and Signal appears to be the best option at this time.

It (SHOULD) go without saying that your smartphone password should be kept "protected" at ALL times especially since it holds the keys to your life. And ESPECIALLY in a bar after drinking and in a place full of strangers.

At the end of the video, they show Lastpass as a viable password program. I would stay away from that one as they have been hacked a few times in the past. 1Password and Keeper Security are my recommendations.

Apple’s iPhone Passcode Problem: Thieves Can Ruin Your Entire Digital Life in Minutes | WSJ iPhone thieves across the country are locking people out of their Apple and iCloud accounts and gaining access to Apple Pay and bank apps, draining them of t...