The FBI is currently investigating an incident where one or more unknown individuals attempted to gain unauthorized access to the personal phone of Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, according to sources interviewed by the BBC’s US news partner, CBS. Wiles informed associates that her phone had been hacked after impostors used her contacts list to send messages to other high-ranking government officials from the United States, as reported by CBS sources.
Some recipients of these messages became suspicious after being asked to continue the conversation on another platform, such as Telegram.
A White House spokesperson stated that the cybersecurity of all staff members is taken very seriously and that this matter is still under investigation.
The duration during which these messages were received is yet unknown. The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident, which led to the initiation of the FBI’s investigation. The impersonation only targeted Wiles’ personal phone and not her government-issued one, the Wall Street Journal also reported. The recipients of the messages included US Senators, governors, and senior business executives.
Wiles holds the distinction of being the first female White House chief of staff and played a crucial role in architecting US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
This is not the first time Wiles has been at the center of cybersecurity concerns. In the previous year, three individuals associated with a cyber espionage unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were indicted for initiating cyber attacks on Trump’s campaign team, which Wiles was leading.
In response to the latest incident, FBI Director Kash Patel issued a statement to CBS News, stating that the FBI takes all threats against the President, his staff, and cybersecurity very seriously. Ensuring the secure communication abilities of administration officials to fulfill the President’s mission is a top priority.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jgwdg3g9wo
