An unfortunate mishap occurred when high-ranking authorities from the Trump administration accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, to a confidential discussion regarding potential airstrikes on Houthi objectives in Yemen. This event propelled the encrypted communication app Signal into the limelight. Critics pointed fingers at the app, and even attributed the controversy to it. However, this incident, loosely termed ‘SignalGate’, isn’t related directly to Signal. Professionals note that trusted contacts are the only ones who should be included in delicate discussions, and that these conversations should take place using approved instruments, mediums, and protocols, specifically when they concern classified military operations.
The culprits behind the faulty chat setup have nothing to do with Signal’s robustness as a secure platform. Ironically, Signal saw a significant increase in downloads from the US users, marking it an all-time high, prompted by this incident. Conversely, Associated Press highlighted a matter connected to the Houthi group chat. It was discovered that national security adviser Mike Waltz had not privatised his list of friends on his Venmo account.
Upon receiving a query from WIRED, the Waltz account adjusted its privacy settings to conceal the friend list. Interestingly, during the investigation, WIRED stumbled across more Venmo accounts tied to the Signal chat officials. Identifying these officials’ connections could prove incredibly valuable for foreign agents and cybercriminals. Further, it was brought to attention the potential complications that could arise concerning network security following the White House’s choice to utilise Elon Musk’s Starlink as an alternate Wi-Fi network.
On another note, European firms show signs of scepticism towards the cloud services provided by Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, raising concern on the risk of engaging with the tumultuous second Trump administration. As the US border poses increased risk for citizens and visa holders alike, we have updated our guide on how to maintain one’s digital privacy intact when entering the United States.
Beyond the SignalGate and exposed Venmo accounts, German news agency Der Spiegel revealed that easily accessible online information is tied to several top Trump administration security members. Journalists traced mobile phone numbers, email addresses, and certain passwords associated with these officials. Using search engines specialised in people-searches and information from public data breaches, Der Spiegel managed to find this personal data.
While countless individuals have been victims of online data breaches and inadequate privacy settings, high-ranking government security officials bear far more severe online threats. These are often targeted by threats coming from nation-state hackers, which proves much riskier than the typical threats encountered by the average individual.
In other news, Myanmar faced a catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake causing severe damage, which was felt even hundreds of miles away in Thailand. Precise numbers are hard to come by, but current reports confirm at least 144 fatalities and hundreds more injured. As the horror of the quake began unfolding, The New York Times noted that existing and pervasive internet restrictions in Myanmar are exacerbating the understanding of the extent of destruction caused by the earthquake.
Since the military junta seized power in 2021, Myanmar’s internet accessibility has been either extensively disturbed or blocked outright. Amnesty International’s Joe Freeman compared the media’s coverage of the earthquake between Thailand, where reports of aftershocks and the aftermath have been sweeping, to Myanmar, where a full understanding of the destruction and losses is still murky.
The limited connectivity could potentially hamper the coordination of relief and humanitarian efforts, stressing the vital importance of people having reliable and unrestricted access to the internet. In the meantime, across the United Kingdom, police forces have dramatically amplified their use of live face recognition cameras over the recent years.
The contentious technology has traditionally been used temporarily, like placing cameras on top of police automobiles or deploying them for specific time-bound events. However, this norm is set to shift with the first-ever permanent face recognition cameras being installed in London. Officers from London’s Metropolitan Police are currently setting up these fixed cameras in Croydon area, located in the south of the city.