The European Parliament has recommended its lawmakers, assistants, and staff to utilize Signal, an end-to-end encrypted messaging application, for professional communications.

This suggestion, sent through an internal email, comes in response to a recent surge in cyber threats targeting commercial telecommunications systems, including significant breaches by a China-associated hacking group called Salt Typhoon.

A report from the cyber intelligence company Recorded Future indicated that this group compromised telecommunications providers in the U.S., Italy, and the U.K. as recently as January, despite ongoing U.S. sanctions.

The email emphasized that while the Parliament’s official tools like Teams and Jabber should be utilized wherever feasible, Signal is suggested when there is no similar secure option available.

This isn't the first instance of EU institutions implementing such precautions; in 2020, the European Commission urged its personnel to adopt Signal for improved security, and in 2023, several EU bodies prohibited the use of TikTok on work-related devices.

Signal is widely recognized by cybersecurity professionals for its robust encryption and open-source technology.