A messaging app used by President Donald Trump’s national security advisor was reportedly hacked last week, prompting a full suspension of its services and raising fresh alarms about how secure digital communications really are in the halls of power.
The app in question—TeleMessage, a modified, compliance-friendly version of encrypted platforms like Signal—was being used by Trump’s advisor Mike Waltz during a high-level Cabinet meeting. Days later, the app was taken offline following a suspected security breach. While initial reports suggest Waltz’s personal messages weren’t accessed, the hack has triggered serious questions about whether tools meant to ensure compliance may actually be weakening the very protections they claim to enhance.
Cabinet Meeting App Use Preceded Suspension
TeleMessage, founded in Israel and currently operated by Oregon-based tech company Smarsh, is built to offer the encrypted communication of popular apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, but with one big difference—it archives messages for legal and regulatory recordkeeping.
That feature might be useful for businesses and government agencies required to preserve communications. But as this incident shows, adding archiving functionality to secure messaging platforms can introduce vulnerabilities.
The breach was first reported by 404 Media, a technology news outlet, which said that hackers had accessed messages from TeleMessage’s customized versions of Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat. However, according to their reporting, there’s no indication that Waltz or his high-level contacts were among those whose data was exposed.
A spokesperson for Smarsh confirmed a “potential security incident” and said the company had “acted quickly to contain it,” bringing in an outside cybersecurity team to investigate. As a precaution, all TeleMessage services were suspended. Other Smarsh products remain active.
A Pattern of Messaging Mishaps
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Just days before the suspension, Waltz was photographed using the app during a Cabinet meeting. The image reportedly showed him in conversation with several senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
This isn’t the first time encrypted messaging has landed the Trump administration in hot water. In a previous blunder known as “Signalgate,” Waltz accidentally added a journalist to a private Signal group discussing sensitive military plans. That mistake led Trump to publicly express frustration over secure messaging tools. “I think we learned: Maybe don’t use Signal, okay?” Trump said in a recent interview with The Atlantic.
Ironically, Waltz’s switch to TeleMessage—presumably in search of a more compliant and secure option—may have introduced new risks.
Experts Warn of Flawed Security Model
Cybersecurity professionals were quick to weigh in on the consequences. Thomas Richards, a security specialist at app security firm Black Duck, noted that altering the original functionality of secure messaging apps, especially to enable message backups, can “break the security model.”
In simple terms, by storing messages for legal compliance, you could also be creating a treasure trove of sensitive information ripe for hackers. That’s exactly what appears to have happened in the TeleMessage case. While Signal boasts end-to-end encryption, which ensures only the sender and recipient can read a message, TeleMessage’s modified version bypasses that protection by saving copies elsewhere.
A spokesperson for Signal distanced the app from the incident, telling NBC News, “We cannot guarantee the privacy or security properties of unofficial versions of Signal.”
Bigger Questions for Government Communications
This breach comes just months after Smarsh announced a new Public Sector Division aimed at helping government agencies communicate securely while meeting compliance laws. But the breach could now undermine that strategy, especially as public trust in secure communication tools within the government continues to erode.
The White House has so far remained quiet on the suspension. While officials have defended the use of Signal and similar apps on government-issued phones in the past, the use of modified versions like TeleMessage—especially during a Cabinet meeting—has left many cybersecurity experts uneasy.
The day after the Cabinet meeting, President Trump announced that Mike Waltz would be nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In the meantime, Marco Rubio will take on yet another title—interim national security advisor—adding to his already packed portfolio, which includes secretary of state and acting archivist of the United States.
