A hacker who infiltrated the messaging platform TeleMessage—used by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz—accessed communications from a wide array of US government officials, including disaster responders, customs agents, diplomatic staff, and Secret Service personnel, according to Reuters.
The breach, which intercepted messages from over 60 unique government accounts during a 24-hour period ending on 4 May, has intensified scrutiny over data security practices within federal agencies.
The cache of leaked data, provided by transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets, included fragmentary messages from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) applicants, a White House staffer, and officials involved in international travel logistics.
One Signal group titled “POTUS | ROME-VATICAN | PRESS GC” appeared to coordinate an event at the Vatican, whereas another discussed a US delegation’s trip to Jordan.
While no overtly sensitive cabinet-level discussions—such as those involving Waltz—were found, cybersecurity experts warn that metadata alone (e.g., timestamps and participant details) poses significant risks. Jake Williams, a former NSA specialist, stated:
Even if you don’t have the content, that is a top-tier intelligence access.
TeleMessage, which modifies popular apps like Signal to archive messages for compliance, was suspended on 5 May by owner Smarsh, a Portland-based firm that declined to comment. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) later advised users to “discontinue use of the product” pending mitigation guidance.
The Secret Service acknowledged TeleMessage was used by “a small subset” of employees, while FEMA claimed it had “no evidence” of compromised data but did not address leaked internal messages.
The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) said it trialled the software in 2024 but found it unsuitable. Federal contracts reveal TeleMessage had deals with the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and CDC in recent years.
The breach revisits Waltz’s history of controversial app usage. He was ousted as national security adviser after accidentally adding a journalist to a Signal chat where Trump officials discussed real-time air strikes on Yemen. Despite this, Trump later nominated him as UN ambassador.
