In a recent security breach, a hacker intercepted messages from more U.S. government officials than previously reported. The breach targeted TeleMessage, a communications service used by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz, according to a review by Reuters.
Reuters discovered more than 60 unique government users of TeleMessage in a cache of leaked data provided by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to archiving hacked and leaked documents in the public interest. The leaked material included communications from disaster responders, customs officials, several U.S. diplomatic staffers, at least one White House staffer, and members of the Secret Service.
While the full extent of the breach remains unclear, Reuters was able to verify that, in more than half a dozen cases, the phone numbers in the leaked data were correctly attributed to their owners. Although no clearly sensitive information was uncovered, some chats appeared to discuss the travel plans of senior government officials, including events at the Vatican and trips to Jordan.
Jake Williams, a former National Security Agency cyber specialist and current vice president of research and development at cybersecurity firm Hunter Strategy, emphasized the potential risks posed by the breach. “Even if you don’t have the content, that is a top-tier intelligence access,” Williams said. “The wealth of metadata—the who and when of the conversations—poses a counterintelligence risk.”
TeleMessage, once little known outside government and finance circles, drew media attention after an April 30 Reuters photograph showed Mike Waltz checking TeleMessage’s version of the privacy-focused app Signal during a cabinet meeting. Waltz’s prior use of Signal had previously caused a public stir when he accidentally added a prominent journalist to a Signal chat where he and other Trump cabinet officials were discussing air raids on Yemen in real time.
This incident raises concerns about data security practices within the U.S. government, highlighting the importance of securing communication channels used by officials. The potential exposure of metadata and communication details can have significant implications for national security and counterintelligence efforts.
