Private data from Trump's security advisors on the Internet - Washington alarmed!

Private data from Trump's security advisors on the Internet - Washington alarmed!

Private contact details of US President Donald Trump's security advisors have become accessible on the Internet, posing a significant security risk. Research by the German news magazine “Der Spiegel” has revealed that mobile numbers, email addresses and, in some cases, passwords of high-ranking government officials were published. Those affected include National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, US intelligence coordinator Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The information comes from commercial people search engines as well as hacked customer data and many of the published contact details are still used by those affected. oe24 reports.

The data is also linked to profiles on social networks such as Instagram and LinkedIn. Dropbox accounts and apps for recording running data are also used by those affected. What is particularly alarming is that WhatsApp accounts are linked to the published telephone numbers. Gabbard and Waltz also have profiles on Signal. Despite repeated requests, the individuals concerned did not respond to media inquiries, further underscoring the worrying security situation in Washington.

Potential risks

The published data could be used by enemy intelligence services to hack systems and access critical information. For example, a discussion about military strategies against the Yemeni Houthi militias took place in a Signal chat group in which CIA chief John Ratcliffe also took part. This poses a serious threat as exposed data enables phishing attacks and facilitates access to devices and services. In addition, attackers could carry out deepfake attacks using images and audio material available online.

The cybersecurity landscape has changed significantly in recent years. Loud das-wissen.de Digitalization has led to a growing amount of sensitive data on the Internet. The threats facing businesses, government entities and individuals today include ransomware, phishing, DDoS attacks and zero-day exploits. The development of these threats and the professionalization of cybercrime are alarming. For example, ransomware attacks have caused massive economic damage in the past, as demonstrated by the well-known WannaCry attack in 2017.

The situation of IT security in Germany

In parallel to these threats, the current report on the IT security situation in Germany from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) shows that the cyber situation here is also worrying. Cybercriminals are increasingly using modern technologies and have created established structures for criminal services in cyberspace. The report highlights that Germany has made progress towards a resilient cyber nation, but continued collaboration between manufacturers, operators and consumers is required to ensure security standards. Security measures must be regularly updated and adapted to the ever-changing threat landscape in order to remain effective the BSI notes.

In this sense, preventive approaches such as the implementation of multi-factor authentication procedures and continuous user training are crucial to meeting the challenges of the cyber world. Understanding the threats and proactively managing security vulnerabilities are key to protecting sensitive data.