High-level White House officials, including an aide to national security adviser Mike Waltz, have reportedly used their personal Gmail accounts for official business. The story resurrected concerns about security vulnerabilities in government.
While Gmail has safety features, it remains the most hacked email provider, with hacking attempts increasing by 243% in early 2024.
Waltz and others faced scrutiny after Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was invited to a Signal group chat discussing plans to bomb Houthi forces in Yemen.
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White House officials at high levels of government have been using their civilian Gmail accounts for official business, according to a report.
Documents obtained by the Washington Post show an aide to White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and others have used their personal email accounts, which are far less secure than the encrypted messaging app Signal. Waltz, the Post reported, also used his personal email account in government functions, but it was limited to things like his work schedule and other unclassified documents.
Waltz and others have been the source of bipartisan criticism since it was revealed that someone had invited Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat detailing plans to bomb Houthi forces in Yemen.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council told Fox News that Waltz has used his Gmail account when contacted by legacy contacts and has copied his official email since Jan. 20. The spokesman could not verify the Post story details because the reporter wouldn’t share the documents.
Gmail security
Gmail does contain safety features to discourage hacking, but that doesn’t stop the email service from being the most hacked provider in the country. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky data shows Gmail users saw a notable increase in hacks and attempted hacks in 2024. The firm said Gmail hacking attempts increased by 243% in the first half of 2024.
Signal, on the other hand, is a messaging app that uses end-to-end encryption. Messages in the app also disappear, which brings government retention laws into question. Former President Joe Biden approved Signal for government use, but did not allow information like what was shared with Goldberg to be sent on the app.
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