Great info. There are some other plausible theories, e.g.,: "Let me summarize for those new to these performances: (1) The CIA tech team organized the Signal App operation (directory manipulation). That’s how Goldberg got in. (2) Jeffrey Goldberg held the story until the day before the scheduled SSCI hearing. (3) The SSCI uses the hearing to attack the Trump officials at the top of the critical silos.
Why? The CIA group doesn’t like the Trump Ukraine and Trump Russia policy." --@thelastrefuge2
The easiest explanation is the most likely explanation, Occam's Razor. The CIA IT team put this on unclass devices for unclass comms and the principles got sloppy. Remember the first post on the thread, this was supposed to just be a way for the principles to name their POC for the Tiger team. Then they all lost their minds.
That's a given. Remember, for example, John Deutch who, while head of the CIA, took his work laptop home and let his son use it to play online video games.
CIA team doesn’t like? Would you go to your superiors with that? We have all heard of TDS - Trump Derangement Syndrome. Allow me to introduce you to its doppelgänger: Deranged Trump Supporter (DTS) syndrome. Unfortunately, given the political situation today, DTS is more important.
The symptoms of DTS include starting — contrary to basic physics and time constraint — that journalists knew of Signal threads that never should have existed before those threads were created, AND disregarding the fact that those threads never should have existed (e.g., Hillary 2016), but continue on to stating (if an officer, non-commissioned or (God forbid) commissioned) that one could disregard the fact that SECDEf and his ilk were on the fu***ng Signal threads thread!
Pithy explain to us all how the CIA created the subject Houthi bombing thread, how they roped in a journalist who didn’t even know the thread existed, and how they roped in SECDEF — who had handlers — without ascribing to the CIA superhuman psycho powers.
Then tell us coherent stories that you are not only not making bllgebast up and spewing your okum, but that you would have tolerated any of this back in the day.
Signal is open source, but the some of the server side is not. I’ve read that it is not hard to roll your own server, but it is not trivial, you need to have a clue to do it. It’s well within the capabilities of the USG to do a custom server and branded client that can only talk to that server.
Sadly for MAGA, NR has mostly held on to its Reganite roots. But that's really the problem for you all, this is just red team, blue team for you. If the blue team did this, you would want blood too.
Not just red or blue. As a former purple? You have to wonder why Austin wasn't schitt canned over Abbey Gate. But hey, they were all enlisted so no biggie. Hardly worth Biden's time to bring them home.
I guess I used to be purple too. I'm 99% described by the meme with the dude standing in the same place slightly right of center while the Left sprints into new continents further Left, thus pinning me squarely in the 90% percentile "Right"
I've considered that, and for my part, I don't think so. There is a significant difference between this ephemeral tactical information (and some commentary that everyone knows but is less than politic) and running one's own server with classified info and substandard security, for one example.
Had the blue team done this, I'd crap on them for S&G, but I wouldn't expect anyone to get fired.
That may not be true for everyone, but I think I'd be fair to my Blue friends on this one.
They want blood only because they didn't like the appointments to begin with. Having lost the election and lost the Senate confirmation battle, they are now figuring ways to get rid of the appointments post facto.
Government employees go through training on this. We are not allowed to use personal phones for government business. If we are using government phones that are not cleared for classified data and are using an “approved” encrypted app like Signal, we can only discuss Critical Unclassified Information (CUI) information. I don’t think it is even debatable that the information shared in aggregate exceeds CUI and should have been on SIPRchat. Understand that we have not seen the whole chat at the request of the CIA. Cudos to The Atlantic for responsible journalism. If the administration had just taken a mea culpa instead of trying to deflect, blame, and distract we would have already moved on.
I don't even think Signal is cleared for CUI or FOUO anymore, DOD's guidance this month said its restricted to just recall and low level coordination (i.e. telling people to check for messages on higher comms.)
Probably not, though as it is encrypted it might be *technically* okay. But the way I understand it is that *everything* is CUI (fka FOUO) so do you have to be in the SCIF to talk about anything?
My son, now about 2 months out of USAF ACDU tells me that use of OTS apps is a total cluster with people using whatever they can latch onto for comms. Though it appears that Signal is beginning to be pushed because it isn't known to spy on you or be owned by the Chinese. And by comms we're talking about stuff like "commander's call at 0800," recall bill (no phone trees anymore), and that call...now text... in the middle of the night that says, "hey boss, there's trouble in the shop" or "seaman Snuffy is in jail for DUI."
That said it is appalling that SES and senior appointees are using it at for conversations at this level. CDR Sal said it: total lack of effort and concern by the USG. It was not a question of if, but when, something happened. I know...I've put a person or two (one habitually... I blame MS random autofill algorithms) on email distro that weren't meant to be there. Fortunately no harm done other than embarrassment. But it did teach me that one should be circumspect about what they put in digital communications. No bad mouthing, no (little c) confidential information, unless you are 100% absolutely sure the intended recipients and only the intended recipients are on the distro list (and watch those BCCs!). Even then, think twice and thrice before you launch it.
Well, it must be all of government...at least at the Federal level...as the IC doesn't, shouldn't, have a lot of influence over what USAID and the Cabinet departments dole out money to.
In other words, too damn many people chattering too damn much about damnall. How many cliches and aphorisms are there about the benefits of keeping ones mouth shut?
Ordinary people are worried about being fired, and usually have a much lower ego problem. Makes you wonder how many appointees get a true come-to-Jesus meeting/briefing on opsec.
Absolutely. I have two kids with a combined 30 years military service. The retired Marine said if he had ever passed such info on a non-military non-secure line he could expect to find himself in Leavenworth, maybe for life. He’s beyond disgusted. It’s total disgrace.
With respect to Signal, I've got it on my phone because it got put out a few years ago to move USNR official business there for the encryption capabilities that is time critical. So I'm in multiple unit chats, three Chief's Mess chats, and I used it to set up three way calls for eval debriefings. It's very useful for regular communications when you've got a team spread across the US.
That someone got sloppy on the platform isn't a surprise. I look at this and think it's just as plausible Goldberg got added in instead of someone else. SIM contacts are visible to Signal.
" one of the hardest disciplines...is to wait at least 24 hours until forming an opinion with breaking news that seems sexy"
Bingo! one of my FB friends who is left of center asked me why I hadn't posted on FB anything about the Signal controversy while posting other items "trashing the Democrats" As I explained I had been on vacation (and attending my son's wedding) when the story broke. I told him I would post something once I had gathered information about it. and like you it has been well worth the wait as i've gathered numerous pieces such as this one which are providing me with a fuller view of the situation.
My theory is that Goldberg was possibly a "Useful Idiot" that by leaking the GC puts Euro policymakers on notice. Just yesterday, the chief of NATO stressed that they cannot go it alone without US support. Add in the upcoming NATO summit in June and this "leak" begins to look intentional. Also, a controlled burn op to smoke out moles within the administration. Far-fetched? Of course, but it wouldn't surprise me.
I'd not mind believing this but there were so many people on the chat; hard to control. Same could have been accomplished without Time-on-Target and BDA
Google "Essential Elements of Friendly Information (EEFI)." It's a radio communication procedure that's as old as the hills. If you are on a net and someone puts information that is at a different classification than the net is rated for, you are obligated to say "BEADWINDOW XX" with the XX being a code for the type of informaiton that was put out. The only appropriate response for the station that made the improper transmission is "Roger, out."
It's more of an educational thing. Letting someone know they screwed up is one thing, letting them know HOW they screwed up so they don't do it again is another.
The lack of a Government created Signal is the critical issue here. There is no excuse for it, none. I'm sure that Elon can come up with something by COB Friday to fix this as a government contract to correct the problem might happen by the end of the decade.
I can only speculate that having the ability to add non-Gov civilians to government phone signal accounts was a feature and not a bug.
It "could" be done by COB tomorrow but we all know that it would take a minimum of nine years, cost $9B, and be incredibly buggy and unreliable out of the gate.
It seems to me to be more complicated than is the communications channel secure. Over the last few years we've learned an Israeli company produced malware that allowed users to take over smartphones. It allowed them to read everything, see keystrokes, use cameras, etc. Keep in mind every one of the participants is a high-value target for hacking. (Perhaps this concern is why Witkoff was given a "burner phone" for his trip to Russia.)
Then there is the issue of someone being physically able to snoop on the communications, e.g., is there a camera looking over someone's shoulder or someone with a directional microphone. SCIFs exist for a reason.
This is valid, but text should not be susceptible to anything outside the medium itself (directional microphones, etc.). There is no excuse for the gov to not have a quality, secure texting app at this date.
The Signal app allows voice and video chatting, which is why I mentioned microphones. As for texting, if the phone had been hacked by something like the Israeli malware, then the snooper would have been able to take screenshots of the texting and then viewed those. Moreover, they might have been able to capture the encryption keys used to decrypt the text messaging (don’t know enough about Signal to know if that’s possible).
Signal has never been cleared for classified information. The phones and computers that has been added to are NIPRNET and unclass devices. Each one of these principles has been given the ability to have high side conversations where and when ever they need. For some reason they chose not to use them. The Trump Administration is playing the same semantic game they played with the Mar-a-Lago documents and HRC played with her emails. Its the information not the marking that matters. If its information that would cause damage, severe damage or exceptionally grave damage to the US national security then you CANNOT put that information into an unclassified system. Period. Nothing about that has changed since the old cold warriors left the building. This is something ALL OF THEM were told when they got their clearances. And if anyone is out there saying that TOT, weapons platforms two hours before the airstrike or BDA after the fact is not information that could cause damage to US national security interests you can write them off right now. Same thing goes with the conversations by principals about foreign policy decisions that is information the Russians would literally kill for. And Hegseth's own department assessed and based their All Hands guidance that the Russian compromised Signal. All the hand waiving by the Administration now shows that this was not a one off this is habit and by the looks of it, habit that they will continue and are defending as acceptable. We were lucky that day that the leaked information didn't result in dead American service members, but no one is lucky every day.
“Her e-mails,” was, and remains, total bullshit. You have to begin with the premise that the basement of a secret-service-protected retired President, married to the Secretary of State is not a safe place to place a server. It gets more ridiculous from there.
Depends on who has physical access to it, who configured it, and whether it has a internet or local network connection. The vast majority of all "hacks" are done over the internet or a local network, without any physical access. That is why the government has stringent regulations on how networks and computers are configured, in addition to stringent regulations on physical security, and by who. So no, it was not a "safe place", Secret Service or not.
It’s all about the blood lust that pops up in DC from time to time by which I mean the desire to destroy someone for something no mater how trivial like forgetting to withhold social security taxes for the baby sitter or trying to get your intern girlfriend a job
Every episode is accompanied by journalists interviewing talking head legal analysts telling us what laws were broken and how this threatened our very existence. Remember Agent XXX Valerie Plame single handedly fighting terrorists from her deck in Langley?
The god in the swamp can only be appeased by human sacrifice.
If any American inadvertently comes across classified materials their duty is to report that to the proper authorities not jump up and down and shout “Look at me see what I got.”
Also, I have personally escorted journalists to interviews with flags where they were given a background briefing - no notes or recording - to help them write their story in order to better inform the American people.
Goldberg could have written a real article about this war. Instead he chose to be the story. Selfish POS.
GRU bot blames the messenger who pointed out the problem with putting sensitive information on unclass systems and now the US might change it up. Don't worry though, Vlad, based on the circle the wagons and the see no evil spin they are likely to continue their bad habits.
I will say this though the water carriers for POTUS and the PR clean up team better pick a road, either it was an accident, Goldberg hacked his way in or it was a deliberate controlled press briefing but IT CANNOT BE ALL THREE.
Pete’s comment is exactly why Washington and Hamilton warned that partisan politics will lead us to our demise. He’s looking at the situation from the side of his team. Anybody against his team must be the enemy.
What Pete’s team has directed as the MSM is essential to the proper functioning of a republic. Castigating the reporter in a situation like this is simply ridiculous.
Donald Trump is defending America against its enemies. The Democrats are aiding and abetting them especially criminal gangs of illegal aliens. Yeah I guess I am partisan.
"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty."
Great info. There are some other plausible theories, e.g.,: "Let me summarize for those new to these performances: (1) The CIA tech team organized the Signal App operation (directory manipulation). That’s how Goldberg got in. (2) Jeffrey Goldberg held the story until the day before the scheduled SSCI hearing. (3) The SSCI uses the hearing to attack the Trump officials at the top of the critical silos.
Why? The CIA group doesn’t like the Trump Ukraine and Trump Russia policy." --@thelastrefuge2
The easiest explanation is the most likely explanation, Occam's Razor. The CIA IT team put this on unclass devices for unclass comms and the principles got sloppy. Remember the first post on the thread, this was supposed to just be a way for the principles to name their POC for the Tiger team. Then they all lost their minds.
Why would the CIA be doing anything with unclass coms? Seems like every department has at least one IT team that could do that.
But yeah, the thread snowballed. That's what happens when you let millennials loose with a digital device.
"the principles got sloppy"
That's a given. Remember, for example, John Deutch who, while head of the CIA, took his work laptop home and let his son use it to play online video games.
"Then they all lost their minds. "
Another given.
"Principals", if you are talking about those who were speaking on the chat. Spelling and grammar grind, I know.
This. 100% an inside job to get Pistol Pete, and embarrass potus, Tulsi and JD.
Inside how? In that some people in the administration on that chain might take their oath more seriously than their boss?
“Don’t ever mess with the intel guys, they’ll screw you seven days to Sunday” (sic)
I'd give it 60%, but would like to know how it happened.
CIA team doesn’t like? Would you go to your superiors with that? We have all heard of TDS - Trump Derangement Syndrome. Allow me to introduce you to its doppelgänger: Deranged Trump Supporter (DTS) syndrome. Unfortunately, given the political situation today, DTS is more important.
The symptoms of DTS include starting — contrary to basic physics and time constraint — that journalists knew of Signal threads that never should have existed before those threads were created, AND disregarding the fact that those threads never should have existed (e.g., Hillary 2016), but continue on to stating (if an officer, non-commissioned or (God forbid) commissioned) that one could disregard the fact that SECDEf and his ilk were on the fu***ng Signal threads thread!
Pithy explain to us all how the CIA created the subject Houthi bombing thread, how they roped in a journalist who didn’t even know the thread existed, and how they roped in SECDEF — who had handlers — without ascribing to the CIA superhuman psycho powers.
Then tell us coherent stories that you are not only not making bllgebast up and spewing your okum, but that you would have tolerated any of this back in the day.
WELL?
No, I will admit to having Constitutional Derangement Syndrome, meaning intolerance of Communists, Marxists and Democrats -- but I repeat myself.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHwjMsqRnn4/
"depend on the definition of what “is” … is? " HA! sometime you bring tears CDR, just from the sheer delight from those kinds of little bits!
long post. haven't read through, but had to say that above. Made my morn!
Okay, read through now. well said here.
but there...... too much grab posterior gabbin going on throughout.
same 'ol truth from long ago....zip it, Loose Lips Sink Ships.
Sal,
Well reasoned, said, and with future, good practices conveyed!
BZ — East German judge would have to award 7.8 or higher!
Bead window 03.
R K.
Signal is open source, but the some of the server side is not. I’ve read that it is not hard to roll your own server, but it is not trivial, you need to have a clue to do it. It’s well within the capabilities of the USG to do a custom server and branded client that can only talk to that server.
Would something basic like a VPN work for that?
That's pretty basic stuff.
"It’s well within the capabilities of the USG "
I rebut with NMCI.
"It [should be] well within the capabilities" ...
Sadly, the National Review folks want blood.
NR isn’t what it used to be, that’s for sure.
fullly agree they are, if they dont watch out, headed in the same direction as the late Weekly Standard
I don’t bother with any of the neocon rags.
It was always a scam
Sadly for MAGA, NR has mostly held on to its Reganite roots. But that's really the problem for you all, this is just red team, blue team for you. If the blue team did this, you would want blood too.
You should find a HAMAS chat room at your nearest Ivy League college.
Not just red or blue. As a former purple? You have to wonder why Austin wasn't schitt canned over Abbey Gate. But hey, they were all enlisted so no biggie. Hardly worth Biden's time to bring them home.
I guess I used to be purple too. I'm 99% described by the meme with the dude standing in the same place slightly right of center while the Left sprints into new continents further Left, thus pinning me squarely in the 90% percentile "Right"
What do you call democrats? MAKA Make America Kneel Again?
Just asking.
Mostly is my favorite part of your reply. If your response gives you peace, enjoy it.
I've considered that, and for my part, I don't think so. There is a significant difference between this ephemeral tactical information (and some commentary that everyone knows but is less than politic) and running one's own server with classified info and substandard security, for one example.
Had the blue team done this, I'd crap on them for S&G, but I wouldn't expect anyone to get fired.
That may not be true for everyone, but I think I'd be fair to my Blue friends on this one.
"NR has mostly held on to its Reganite roots."
If it had I would still be a subscriber.
Amen to that.
It's "Reaganite".
NR gets it wrong too.
let's leave the young boys out of it
They want blood only because they didn't like the appointments to begin with. Having lost the election and lost the Senate confirmation battle, they are now figuring ways to get rid of the appointments post facto.
Government employees go through training on this. We are not allowed to use personal phones for government business. If we are using government phones that are not cleared for classified data and are using an “approved” encrypted app like Signal, we can only discuss Critical Unclassified Information (CUI) information. I don’t think it is even debatable that the information shared in aggregate exceeds CUI and should have been on SIPRchat. Understand that we have not seen the whole chat at the request of the CIA. Cudos to The Atlantic for responsible journalism. If the administration had just taken a mea culpa instead of trying to deflect, blame, and distract we would have already moved on.
tru dat
Moved on? With the way the media class is all in to get the current administration? You're out of your mind.
These are the same people who killed that the Secretary of Defense was under for medical treatment for a few weeks in the last administration.
I don't even think Signal is cleared for CUI or FOUO anymore, DOD's guidance this month said its restricted to just recall and low level coordination (i.e. telling people to check for messages on higher comms.)
I agree. I was being generous. I have to be on my government computing device using a DISA provided app. Signal is not one of them.
Probably not, though as it is encrypted it might be *technically* okay. But the way I understand it is that *everything* is CUI (fka FOUO) so do you have to be in the SCIF to talk about anything?
My son, now about 2 months out of USAF ACDU tells me that use of OTS apps is a total cluster with people using whatever they can latch onto for comms. Though it appears that Signal is beginning to be pushed because it isn't known to spy on you or be owned by the Chinese. And by comms we're talking about stuff like "commander's call at 0800," recall bill (no phone trees anymore), and that call...now text... in the middle of the night that says, "hey boss, there's trouble in the shop" or "seaman Snuffy is in jail for DUI."
That said it is appalling that SES and senior appointees are using it at for conversations at this level. CDR Sal said it: total lack of effort and concern by the USG. It was not a question of if, but when, something happened. I know...I've put a person or two (one habitually... I blame MS random autofill algorithms) on email distro that weren't meant to be there. Fortunately no harm done other than embarrassment. But it did teach me that one should be circumspect about what they put in digital communications. No bad mouthing, no (little c) confidential information, unless you are 100% absolutely sure the intended recipients and only the intended recipients are on the distro list (and watch those BCCs!). Even then, think twice and thrice before you launch it.
True. I don't know how we ended up 37T$ in debt and we don't have decent secure comms.
Priorities. Those transexual hermaphrodite affirmation programs in Botswana do cost a pretty penny.
but where would we be without them !?!?
In a better world?
Once you discover how much homosexuals have infected the intelligence community, things like this make sense.
Well, it must be all of government...at least at the Federal level...as the IC doesn't, shouldn't, have a lot of influence over what USAID and the Cabinet departments dole out money to.
A great homosexual practically won World War II single-handedly and assholes like you tortured him until he killed himself. Go back to Russia!
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/obituaries/alan-turing-overlooked.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7U4.Gnc2.YDXNUBHW0Ycy&smid=url-share
In other words, too damn many people chattering too damn much about damnall. How many cliches and aphorisms are there about the benefits of keeping ones mouth shut?
Ordinary people are worried about being fired, and usually have a much lower ego problem. Makes you wonder how many appointees get a true come-to-Jesus meeting/briefing on opsec.
"Cudos to The Atlantic for responsible journalism"
JG could have jumped in early on and said "Hey folks; I don't think you wanted me on this chat."
Thanks for not sending to his Houthi and Iranian contacts are in order for sure, but he had to have known he didn't belong there. No Cudos
THIS!
Absolutely. I have two kids with a combined 30 years military service. The retired Marine said if he had ever passed such info on a non-military non-secure line he could expect to find himself in Leavenworth, maybe for life. He’s beyond disgusted. It’s total disgrace.
With respect to Signal, I've got it on my phone because it got put out a few years ago to move USNR official business there for the encryption capabilities that is time critical. So I'm in multiple unit chats, three Chief's Mess chats, and I used it to set up three way calls for eval debriefings. It's very useful for regular communications when you've got a team spread across the US.
That someone got sloppy on the platform isn't a surprise. I look at this and think it's just as plausible Goldberg got added in instead of someone else. SIM contacts are visible to Signal.
It's never been cleared for classified information though, right Chief?
" one of the hardest disciplines...is to wait at least 24 hours until forming an opinion with breaking news that seems sexy"
Bingo! one of my FB friends who is left of center asked me why I hadn't posted on FB anything about the Signal controversy while posting other items "trashing the Democrats" As I explained I had been on vacation (and attending my son's wedding) when the story broke. I told him I would post something once I had gathered information about it. and like you it has been well worth the wait as i've gathered numerous pieces such as this one which are providing me with a fuller view of the situation.
Keep up the good work Sal
My theory is that Goldberg was possibly a "Useful Idiot" that by leaking the GC puts Euro policymakers on notice. Just yesterday, the chief of NATO stressed that they cannot go it alone without US support. Add in the upcoming NATO summit in June and this "leak" begins to look intentional. Also, a controlled burn op to smoke out moles within the administration. Far-fetched? Of course, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Vance said everything of note in that chat; the rest was just misdirection.
I'd not mind believing this but there were so many people on the chat; hard to control. Same could have been accomplished without Time-on-Target and BDA
Nineteen chairs when what was needed was five or six max for the task at hand. You walk into a meeting and there are 18 other people there, you know that at least half are just sucking up oxygen otherwise nothing would ever get accomplished. Gratuitous pict of FDR and his cabinet at the table. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-57000/NH-57395/_jcr_content/mediaitem/image.img.jpg/1439336298630.jpg
I don't get the "BEADWINDOW’d" and "BEADWINDOW 02" references? Some sort of security audit procedure?
Google "Essential Elements of Friendly Information (EEFI)." It's a radio communication procedure that's as old as the hills. If you are on a net and someone puts information that is at a different classification than the net is rated for, you are obligated to say "BEADWINDOW XX" with the XX being a code for the type of informaiton that was put out. The only appropriate response for the station that made the improper transmission is "Roger, out."
Huh. Why bother coding what the insecure information actually was? Is that for audit purposes later, when someone reads the transcript?
It's more of an educational thing. Letting someone know they screwed up is one thing, letting them know HOW they screwed up so they don't do it again is another.
It's also a public ass-chewing. He dumb shit, get your act together.
The lack of a Government created Signal is the critical issue here. There is no excuse for it, none. I'm sure that Elon can come up with something by COB Friday to fix this as a government contract to correct the problem might happen by the end of the decade.
I can only speculate that having the ability to add non-Gov civilians to government phone signal accounts was a feature and not a bug.
It "could" be done by COB tomorrow but we all know that it would take a minimum of nine years, cost $9B, and be incredibly buggy and unreliable out of the gate.
It seems to me to be more complicated than is the communications channel secure. Over the last few years we've learned an Israeli company produced malware that allowed users to take over smartphones. It allowed them to read everything, see keystrokes, use cameras, etc. Keep in mind every one of the participants is a high-value target for hacking. (Perhaps this concern is why Witkoff was given a "burner phone" for his trip to Russia.)
Then there is the issue of someone being physically able to snoop on the communications, e.g., is there a camera looking over someone's shoulder or someone with a directional microphone. SCIFs exist for a reason.
This is valid, but text should not be susceptible to anything outside the medium itself (directional microphones, etc.). There is no excuse for the gov to not have a quality, secure texting app at this date.
The Signal app allows voice and video chatting, which is why I mentioned microphones. As for texting, if the phone had been hacked by something like the Israeli malware, then the snooper would have been able to take screenshots of the texting and then viewed those. Moreover, they might have been able to capture the encryption keys used to decrypt the text messaging (don’t know enough about Signal to know if that’s possible).
The problem is, truly secure cryptography is time consuming. Folks want instant gratification.
true that
Signal is open source.
I'm not clear what "Government created Signal" would even mean.
Signal has never been cleared for classified information. The phones and computers that has been added to are NIPRNET and unclass devices. Each one of these principles has been given the ability to have high side conversations where and when ever they need. For some reason they chose not to use them. The Trump Administration is playing the same semantic game they played with the Mar-a-Lago documents and HRC played with her emails. Its the information not the marking that matters. If its information that would cause damage, severe damage or exceptionally grave damage to the US national security then you CANNOT put that information into an unclassified system. Period. Nothing about that has changed since the old cold warriors left the building. This is something ALL OF THEM were told when they got their clearances. And if anyone is out there saying that TOT, weapons platforms two hours before the airstrike or BDA after the fact is not information that could cause damage to US national security interests you can write them off right now. Same thing goes with the conversations by principals about foreign policy decisions that is information the Russians would literally kill for. And Hegseth's own department assessed and based their All Hands guidance that the Russian compromised Signal. All the hand waiving by the Administration now shows that this was not a one off this is habit and by the looks of it, habit that they will continue and are defending as acceptable. We were lucky that day that the leaked information didn't result in dead American service members, but no one is lucky every day.
Very good summary of the issues.
“Her e-mails,” was, and remains, total bullshit. You have to begin with the premise that the basement of a secret-service-protected retired President, married to the Secretary of State is not a safe place to place a server. It gets more ridiculous from there.
Depends on who has physical access to it, who configured it, and whether it has a internet or local network connection. The vast majority of all "hacks" are done over the internet or a local network, without any physical access. That is why the government has stringent regulations on how networks and computers are configured, in addition to stringent regulations on physical security, and by who. So no, it was not a "safe place", Secret Service or not.
FAKE OUTRAGE
It’s all about the blood lust that pops up in DC from time to time by which I mean the desire to destroy someone for something no mater how trivial like forgetting to withhold social security taxes for the baby sitter or trying to get your intern girlfriend a job
Every episode is accompanied by journalists interviewing talking head legal analysts telling us what laws were broken and how this threatened our very existence. Remember Agent XXX Valerie Plame single handedly fighting terrorists from her deck in Langley?
The god in the swamp can only be appeased by human sacrifice.
This is a nice distraction. For what, we'll soon find out.
At the very least it ties down Trump appointees and prevents them from doing their jobs.
https://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Library/Memo-UseOfUnclassMobileApps.pdf
It's all there on page 6 of the pdf attachment paragraph 10! "Doesn't anyone read these dammed things?" Uh - no.
You might like this article. The former Secretary of the Air Force, points out that there should be staff, assisting the politicos, and making sure they don’t screw up. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/opinion/signal-chat-security.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8E4.Z950.9mkS9KmcjsR4&smid=url-share
Thank you! I briefed Frank Kendall once, way back there. He was a gentleman
Goldberg is a bag of filth.
If any American inadvertently comes across classified materials their duty is to report that to the proper authorities not jump up and down and shout “Look at me see what I got.”
Also, I have personally escorted journalists to interviews with flags where they were given a background briefing - no notes or recording - to help them write their story in order to better inform the American people.
Goldberg could have written a real article about this war. Instead he chose to be the story. Selfish POS.
GRU bot blames the messenger who pointed out the problem with putting sensitive information on unclass systems and now the US might change it up. Don't worry though, Vlad, based on the circle the wagons and the see no evil spin they are likely to continue their bad habits.
I will say this though the water carriers for POTUS and the PR clean up team better pick a road, either it was an accident, Goldberg hacked his way in or it was a deliberate controlled press briefing but IT CANNOT BE ALL THREE.
Sounds like there is another Vindman somewhere in the NSC who needs to be outed and fired.
Pete’s comment is exactly why Washington and Hamilton warned that partisan politics will lead us to our demise. He’s looking at the situation from the side of his team. Anybody against his team must be the enemy.
What Pete’s team has directed as the MSM is essential to the proper functioning of a republic. Castigating the reporter in a situation like this is simply ridiculous.
Donald Trump is defending America against its enemies. The Democrats are aiding and abetting them especially criminal gangs of illegal aliens. Yeah I guess I am partisan.
This demonizing your brothers and sisters is not going to end well.
Alas, the Dims are not our brothers and sisters, and they keep proving it.
America is over. Done. Stick a fork in it.
"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty."
Assange him.