Bad cybersecurity by Secret Service agents put US officials at risk, inspector general says
The watchdog said 8,000 devices faced gaps because agents used personal phones, lacked security software and missed data-wiping steps.
- A new Department of Homeland Security inspector general report released Thursday reveals the Secret Service manages about 8,000 mobile devices with flawed security practices, leaving phones vulnerable to hacking and endangering senior U.S. officials and employees.
- Agents frequently use less-secure personal phones because government-issued devices "frequently" disconnect from networks and lack essential apps, prompting the Office of the CIO to allow the practice to become "routine" and "expected."
- The agency failed to consistently wipe data from devices after international travel, leaving sensitive information accessible to foreign adversaries who could steal "mission-related data, including contacts, user history, geolocation, and photos" to plan attacks against protectees or employees.
- These findings revive concerns about agency security two years after the near-assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where insecure communications led to one of the biggest operational debacles in recent agency history.
- Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agency has implemented "several comprehensive enhancements to Secret Service communications policies and protocols" to mitigate adversary risks and further strengthen the protective environment.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Secret Service didn’t secure mobile devices, putting leaders at risk, says report
The Secret Service left themselves vulnerable to hacking due to issues with both official and personal devices, a government watchdog found in a report ordered after the assassination attempt on President Trump’s life in Butler, Pa. The report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) found that agents…
Secret Service phone security lapses put US officials at risk, watchdog says
The Secret Service failed to effectively secure and manage mobile devices used for official business, including during protective operations, creating risks that adversaries could intercept sensitive communications and use them to target U.S. leaders and other protectees, according to a watchdog report issued Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general determined Secret Service employees routinely relied on personal phones …
Inspector General Report Faults Secret Service Cybersecurity Practices
A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report has found that weak cybersecurity practices within the U.S. Secret Service exposed sensitive operational information and potentially increased security risks for senior government officials under the agency's protection. The report concluded that some Secret Service personnel routinely relied on personal mobile phones instead of government-issued devices during protective assignments. 💡…
Bad cybersecurity by Secret Service agents put US officials at risk, inspector general says
Bad cybersecurity practices from Secret Service agents have left their phones vulnerable to hacking and risked the lives of senior US officials they are charged with protecting, according to a new inspector general report.
Secret Service put protectees, employees at risk with mobile device security blunders
The Secret Service has serious gaps in its mobile device management and security practices, leading to heightened risks for the nation’s leaders, other protectees and its employees, according to an inspector general report published Thursday. The security and management gaps included a culture of using personal devices even in protective operations, a lack of security software on government-issued devices and the approval of apps containing vul…
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