Thr US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethʼs personal phone number, which he used in Signal chat, was readily available on the internet and in public apps as early as March, potentially posing a threat to US national security.
This is reported by The New York Times.
Shortly after the release of a Signal chat in March discussing the US attack on Yemen, the German publication Der Spiegel found the phone numbers of Hegseth and other senior Trump officials online.
The Pentagon chief’s phone number was listed on various messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook and sports-related websites. It was the same number the defense secretary used to share flight data for U.S. strikes on the Houthis in Yemen in a Signal chat. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not respond to a request for comment.
Cybersecurity analysts said the US Secretary of Defenseʼs communications device is typically one of the most protected national security assets. Personal phones are typically much more vulnerable than government phones.
Even low-level government officials have been ordered not to use their personal cellphones and laptops to discuss confidential work information, according to current and former government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, several defense and security officials said it has become common for government employees to keep their personal cell phones when they take office. But they are not supposed to use them for official business, as the current U.S. defense secretary did.
In the case of Hegset, security experts are not surprised that his phone number was easy to find. He did not work for the government before being appointed defense minister.
Hegseth was an active social media user, with profiles on WhatsApp and Facebook. He registered on Sleeper.com, a fantasy football betting site, on August 15, 2024, using his personal phone number and username PeteHegseth. A few days later, a phone number associated with his wife, Jennifer, also appeared there.
The Pentagon chief also left digital traces by using the same number to register for Airbnb and Microsoft Teams, video conferencing services for discussing work issues.
This number was tied to an email address associated with a Google Maps profile, where he left several public reviews: about a dentist, plumber, artist, etc.
By using this Signal number to discuss fighter jet departure times and other sensitive matters, Secretary Hegseth put himself and possibly the pilots at risk. Cybersecurity experts note that foreign intelligence agencies have already demonstrated the ability to hack into the accounts of American officials, even if they are encrypted.
A person who saw the chat said that a day or two before the March 15 attack on Yemen, aides warned Hegseth not to post sensitive details in the group. Although the chat was encrypted, it was not considered as secure as official government channels.
Although Signal is an encrypted messenger, it does not protect against spyware that can read keystrokes. This allows hackers or intelligence agencies to see the contents of a message before it is sent.
“I guarantee you that Russia and China are listening to the Secretary of Defense’s cellphone,” a Nebraska Republican who has suggested firing Hegseth Don Bacon told CNN this week.
What preceded
The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine Jeffrey Goldberg said that he was accidentally added to a chat on the Signal messenger, where the American operation against the Houthis was being discussed.
He was added to the chat by an account under the name Mike Waltz, the name of the US Presidentʼs national security adviser. According to Goldberg, the chat contained information about the targets, the weapons the US would use, and the sequence of attacks. Shortly after, direct attacks on Yemen took place.
Waltz later took responsibility for the incident and said that someone else was supposed to be added to the chat instead of the journalist, but the number was mistakenly added to someone elseʼs list. Trump considered firing Waltz for the Signal chat leak, but did not want to please his critics.
The head of the Pentagon, the directors of the US National Intelligence and CIA, as well as President Donald Trump, denied that military plans and classified information were discussed on the Signal messenger. Therefore, journalists at The Atlantic decided to publish this correspondence.
Later, after this incident, the NYT reported that Hegseth created a Defense | Team Huddle
The Pentagon denied the report. Department spokesman Sean Parnell accused the recently fired US Defense Department officials of wanting to "damage the Secretary of Defense and the Presidentʼs agenda".
WP wrote that Hegseth also installed Signal on his work computer. He decided to “clone” Signal from his phone to his work computer because it allowed him to use the messenger in a special room where he could not use his phone or other personal devices. This way, the Pentagon chief could easily communicate with government officials or his family. The NYT specifies that there are two computers in his office, one for personal use and the other for government use, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
- The scandal coincided with internal conflicts at the Pentagon. Last week, Hegseth fired three senior advisers — Dan Caldwell, Colin Carroll and Darin Selnik — and accused them of leaking information. In response, they said they were victims of defamation, although they had previously worked with him for a long time. Joe Kasper is also leaving his post — Hegseth confirmed this in an interview with Fox News.
- Hegseth accuses the media and his former colleagues of trying to thwart his initiatives. The US president supports the Pentagon chief and says he is "doing a great job", but some defense officials believe changes are needed. Admiral William McRaven urged Hegseth to be responsible and listen more to professionals.
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