What is RCS?
RCS, expanded as Rich Communications Services, is a protocol that aims to replace SMS. It enables several services including group chats, videos, and file transfers without additional applications. This protocol was taken over by the GSM Association in February 2008.
RCS has already been launched by various operators, with more operators looking to adopt it.
Understanding the risk associated with RCS
According to security experts, this protocol allows hackers to perform a number of cyberattacks, including the complete take over of the device.
“The underlying issue is that the RCS client, including the official Android messaging app, does not properly validate that the server identity matches the one provided by the network during the provisioning phase,” say security researchers at SRLabs.
What can be done?
A number of best practices have been suggested to defend against the risks posed by the RCS technology.
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