According to a recent report, German news magazine Der Spiegel discovered the personal data of several top advisers to US President Donald Trump online. This comes after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was added to a Signal group chat where high-ranking officials were discussing potential military actions against the Houthis in Yemen.

National security adviser Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were among those involved, and their mobile phone numbers, email addresses, and passwords were found to be linked to their accounts through commercial data-search engines and hacked data available online. The majority of these email addresses and phone numbers were current and connected to their social media profiles and messaging services.

The availability of this information raises concerns about the vulnerability of these US officials to spyware installations on their phones. Moreover, there is a possibility that foreign intelligence services may be able to read the content of the messages sent by the Signal group members discussing the Yemen airstrikes. However, if foreign governments were to access a US official’s phone, they would likely gain access to more than just the content of a single group chat.

All three officials were notified about the leaks, and the National Security Council stated that the Waltz accounts and passwords mentioned by the German magazine had been changed in 2019. Despite reaching out for comments, no responses were received from the officials involved.

Furthermore, an embedded video accompanying the article showcases a leaked Signal chat in which Europeans are referred to as “free-loaders.”

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/top-us-officials-personal-data-available-online-report/a-72051584?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf