Washington – Arab Canada News

The German magazine "Der Spiegel" has revealed a new and serious security breach at the heart of the U.S. administration, involving the leak of private and sensitive information of several high-ranking security officials in President Donald Trump's administration, raising increasing concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in state apparatus.

According to the investigation, highly sensitive data became publicly accessible online, including mobile phone numbers, email addresses, and even private passwords belonging to prominent figures in the U.S. security decision-making circle.

High-ranking figures affected

The affected list includes:

• National Security Advisor Mike Waltz

• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

The magazine confirmed that many of this data is still actively used by those concerned, increasing the severity of the security threat.

“Der Spiegel” noted that some leaks relate to the officials' accounts on communication apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Instagram, and LinkedIn, which opens the door for their use in sophisticated phishing attacks or direct breaches.

Potential Cyber Threats

Information security expert Donald Ortman stated that these leaks "pose a direct risk, as they enable attackers to carry out convincing phishing attacks that could lead to breaches of email accounts, payment services, and personal communication devices."

He asserted that using this data for cyber espionage or targeted attacks is likely, especially amid geopolitical tensions.

Media Investigations Reveal Fragility of Security Communication

Despite the investigation team's refusal to publish full details to protect privacy, they informed the relevant officials about the incident, without receiving any response so far, raising questions about the institutional response speed to such threats.

Another Incident Reveals Breach of Sensitive Communications

This leak comes just two days after "The Atlantic" magazine disclosed a separate incident, when the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was accidentally added to a chat group on the "Signal" app that includes senior U.S. administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

This error allowed him to access internal communications related to preparations for airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, which were later carried out on March 15, revealing another weakness in information security mechanisms within decision-making circles.