A cybersecurity breach involving TeleMessage, a messaging platform used by former Trump administration officials, has exposed sensitive data from over 60 U.S. government users, according to a Reuters investigation. The leak includes communications from disaster responders, Secret Service members, diplomatic staff, and a White House employee, raising alarms about data security practices in high-level government circles.
The breach, first reported earlier this month, gained attention after a Reuters photo revealed former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz using TeleMessage during a cabinet meeting. While no clearly sensitive content from Waltz or other cabinet members was identified, metadata from group chats—including discussions about senior officials' travel logistics—could pose counterintelligence risks, experts warn.
Jake Williams, a cybersecurity specialist and former NSA analyst, emphasized the significance of leaked metadata: "Even if you don't have the content, that is a top-tier intelligence access." The findings follow previous scrutiny of Waltz's use of encrypted apps after he accidentally added a journalist to a sensitive Signal chat about military operations in Yemen.
Reuters verified portions of the leaked data through Distributed Denial of Secrets, a U.S. nonprofit, confirming phone numbers linked to government personnel. Most contacted officials either declined comment or referred inquiries to their agencies.
