Washington: In a significant cybersecurity breach, a hacker infiltrated TeleMessage—a communications platform utilized by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz—compromising messages from over 60 U.S. government officials. The breach, which occurred earlier this month, exposed communications from disaster responders, customs agents, diplomats, and Secret Service personnel, according to a Reuters review of leaked data provided by Distributed Denial of Secrets.

TeleMessage, a modified version of the encrypted messaging app Signal, is designed to archive messages in compliance with government protocols. However, this feature may have introduced vulnerabilities, as the hacker accessed the platform's backend infrastructure, intercepting user messages and metadata . While the intercepted messages were fragmentary and spanned only a day, experts warn that the metadata alone poses a serious counterintelligence risk.

The breach has raised concerns about the security practices within the Trump administration, especially following a prior incident where Waltz inadvertently included a journalist in a Signal chat discussing military operations in Yemen . Despite the controversy, Waltz remains in the administration and has been nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In response to the breach, TeleMessage's parent company, Smarsh, has suspended the app's services since May 5 and is currently investigating the incident . The Department of Homeland Security has also taken precautionary measures by disabling TeleMessage on customs officials' devices.

This incident underscores the potential risks associated with using unofficial or modified versions of secure communication apps for sensitive government communications. Experts emphasize the need for stringent security protocols and caution against relying on third-party platforms that may not offer the same level of protection as their official counterparts.