On December 4, US intelligence officials and the FBI announced a hacking campaign that affected at least eight US telecommunications companies, including Verizon and AT&T.

In response, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with domestic and international partners, issued guidance for telecommunications companies to strengthen their security. Recommendations include implementing measures such as end-to-end encryption to protect both company and customer data.

Multiple news outlets reported that after the hack, officials advised against sending unencrypted text messages so criminals couldn’t read them.

VERIFY readers Barbara and Joseph asked us whether Chinese hackers can actually read people’s text messages. Here’s what we can CHECK about protecting your privacy in text messages.

Can hackers intercept and read certain types of text messages?

Yes, hackers can intercept and read some types of text messages. But there are ways to protect them.

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Messages sent between Apple and Android devices, as well as some types of messages sent between multiple Android devices, can be vulnerable to hackers. However, there is a type of protection that ensures that no hackers can read your texts. It’s called encryption.

Encryption uses an algorithm to encrypt information such as text messages that can only be decrypted by the recipient’s device. This layer of protection ensures that even if hackers or fraudsters intercept your texts, they cannot access the content.

When text messages are not encrypted, they travel across networks in plain text, making them vulnerable to interception, explain technology blogs SoCRadar and How-To Geek. It’s like sending a letter without an envelope.

Encrypted messages are not plain text. They are converted into a so-called ciphertext, which appears on a network as an encrypted, unreadable string of characters.

Hackers can use tricks like building fake cell towers or spying on public wireless networks to intercept the messages. Without protection, text messages can be read and other personal information stolen.

So theoretically, if a hacker is monitoring a network and you send a message in plain text that says, unprotected, “Meet me at my house at 123 Elm Street, the door will be unlocked.” That’s the message that a hacker can read and that leaves you (and your home) vulnerable. However, if you send it as an encrypted message, a hacker would only see gibberish like “Ff8g$%qLq9d@8z.” However, your intended recipient would receive the actual message.

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), wireless carriers do not directly automatically offer end-to-end encryption, but device manufacturers and independent messaging apps often do. Here’s how some devices work and how you can protect yourself.

iMessages sent between Apple devices — the messages that appear in blue bubbles — are end-to-end encrypted. However, messages sent from an Apple device to a non-Apple device – the messages that appear green – are not encrypted.

For Android users who use Google Messages, there is a feature called Rich Communication Services. If this feature is enabled on both devices (here’s how to do it), messages will be encrypted.

Cross-platform messaging and third-party applications:

Text messages sent between Apple gadgets are encrypted, as are exchanges between Google Messages users, but text messages between Android and Apple devices are not encrypted, CISA says. This is where third-party applications come into play.

Apps like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram automatically encrypt messages and work between any device.

WhatsApp describes its encryption technology as a key exchanged between recipients. The technology locks (encrypts) a message before it leaves a device, turning it into a jumbled code. Only the recipient’s device has the unique “key” to unlock (decrypt) it and make it readable again.

While it’s important to understand how to use these technologies, you should also keep your software up to date, says McAfee, a security company. These device and application security updates address vulnerabilities that hackers or fraudsters can exploit.

On an Android device, go to Settings and click Software Update. On an iPhone, go to “Settings,” then “General,” then move on to “Software Updates.”

For more tips on protecting yourself from scammers and hackers, visit the VERIFY website.