The FBI has issued a warning about an ongoing Russian hacking campaign targeting Americans who use the Signal messaging application, according to statements made Friday by FBI Director Kash Patel.

Patel said Russian intelligence services are conducting phishing attacks against Americans considered to have "high intelligence value," including U.S. government officials, military personnel, politicians, and journalists. The campaign specifically targets users of Signal and other private messaging applications.

The FBI director indicated that thousands of individual accounts have been compromised globally as part of this Russian operation. The attacks appear to be part of a broader intelligence-gathering effort by Russian services targeting individuals with access to sensitive information.

Signal is widely used for secure communications due to its end-to-end encryption features, making it a popular choice among government officials, journalists, and others who require private messaging capabilities. The targeting of Signal users suggests Russian intelligence services are seeking to penetrate these secure communication channels.

The FBI's warning comes as U.S. officials continue to highlight ongoing cybersecurity threats from foreign adversaries. Phishing attacks typically involve deceptive messages designed to trick users into revealing login credentials or downloading malicious software that can compromise their accounts and devices.