It was easily accessible to the Internet, public applications on the Internet and public applications in March, which could expose the secrets of national security to foreign opponents.
The phone number can be found in a variety of places, including WhatsApp, Facebook and fictional sports location. The same number that the Minister of Defense, using the commercial correspondence application, revealed the aviation data about the American strikes on the Houthi militias in Yemen.
Cyber security analysts said that the US Defense Secretary of Defense will usually be among the most protected national security assets.
“There is a zero percent opportunity for someone not trying to install PEGASUS or some other spyware on his phone,” said Mike Casey, the former director of the National Security Control Center, in an interview. “It’s one of the five best people, most likely, the most targeted people in the world for spying.”
“You just don’t want the defense minister’s phone number available and available to anyone,” added Emily Harding, a defense and security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Pentagon spokesman, Sean Barnil, did not respond to the request for comment.
Mr. Higseth’s use to refer to the details of the military strikes in Yemen for the first time last month when the Atlantic Ocean editor wrote an article that he apparently added was added to an encrypted conversation between senior US government officials. New York Times I mentioned this week Mr. Higseth included sensitive information about the strikes in the chat group chat that he created included his wife and brother, among others.
Soon after the first chat on Yemen in March, Der SpiegelThe German news publication, the phone numbers of Mr. Higseth and other senior Trump online officials.
Security experts said that the mobile phone number of Mr. Higseth was easily available through commercial communication service providers. After all, Mr. Higseth was a private citizen until Donald J. Trump, who was then the elected president, wanted to manage the former National Guard broadcaster and Fox News Bentagon, a $ 849 billion institution per year with nearly three million employees.
Many defense and security officials said in the interviews that government officials are now a routine for government officials to keep their personal mobile phones when they enter his position. But they are not supposed to use it in official works, as did Mr. Higseth.
Even low -level government workers are required not to use their personal mobile phones and laptops for work related issues, according to current and former government officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
Former Pentagon official said that for senior national security officials, the guidance is more important.
Mr. Higseth had important social media, WhatsApp file and Facebook, still had.
On August 15, 2024, use his personal phone number to join Sleeper.com, a fictional football and sports betting site, using “PetehegSeth” username. Less than two weeks later, Jennifer, Jennifer, joined the site. It was included in one of the signal talks on strikes.
Mr. Higseth also left other digital bread crumbs, using his phone to register in Airbnb and Microsoft teams, a video and communications program.
The number of Mr. Higseth is also associated with an e -mail address linked to its Google Maps Definition file. Mr. Higseth’s reviews on Google Maps include approvals on a dentist (“amazing staff”), a plumbing (“fast, honest and quality of work”), a mural (“two beautiful drawings for us – a spot on”) and other companies. (Google Maps Street View tears the former Higseth house.)
Glenn said. Gistel, former General Adviser to the National Security Agency: “If you use your phone for regular daily activities, you leave a very clear digital path that is so moderately developed, not to mention a gruesome actor, he can follow.”
In contrast, government mobile phones are safer because they are equipped with strict governmental controls aimed at protecting official communications.
When using the same phone number to refer to discussing the exact times when American fighter pilots set out due to strikes in Yemen and other sensitive matters, Mr. Higseth opened himself – and perhaps pilots – for foreign security experts who showed their capabilities to penetrate the accounts of American officials, who were encrypted or not, security experts said.
James A. Lewis, cybersecurity expert: “Phone numbers are similar to the title of the street that tells you at the home where you will start.” “Once you get the street address, you get home, and there may be locks on the doors, and ask yourself,” Do I have tools to bypass or break the locks? “
Several cyber security experts said China and Russia are doing, as many cybersecurity experts said.
Last year, a series of revelation showed how a advanced Chinese intelligence group, Hurricane saltBloring at least nine American communications companies. Investigators said that among the goals, the non -encrypted commercial lines used by Mr. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and senior national security officials, were.
Mr. Jerstl said he had no knowledge of Mr. Higseth’s phone or if he was attacking. But personal phones are usually more at risk than the government’s phones.
“It will be possible, with a moderate difficulty for someone to take a phone in a hidden way as soon as they have the number on the assumption that you clicked on something harmful,” said Mr. Jerstl. “And when developed bad guys, like Russia or China, the phones can be injured even if they do not click on anything.”
Cyber security experts have said that more than 75 countries have acquired commercial spyware during the past decade. The most advanced spyware tools-such as PEGASUS-contains a “zero click” technology, which means that it can extract everything back and away from the target mobile phone, without having to click on a harmful link to give PEGASUS to reach a distance. They can convert a mobile phone into a secret registration and registration device, allowing the phone to spy on its owner.
The sign is an encrypted application, and the safety of the commercial correspondence service is very good. But the malware that proves a major registrar or the key pressure code on the phone will allow the infiltrator, or the nation -state, to read what someone writes on the phone, even in an encrypted application, former officials said.
In the event that Mr. Higseth is used to sign to discuss Yemeni strike plans, spyware on his phone can be seen what he was writing or reading before he hit “send”, because the signal is encrypted during the moments of transmission and receipt.
One of the people familiar with the signal conversation said that Mr. Higseth’s aides warned him one or two days before Yemen hit March 15, not to discuss these sensitive operational details in his group chat. This chat, despite its encryption, was not considered as safe as government channels.
It was not clear how Mr. Higseth responded to these warnings.
Mr. Higseth also had a signal prepared on a computer in his office in the Pentagon so that he could send and receive immediate messages in a place where personal mobile phones were not allowed, according to two people knowing the matter. One of the people who have knowledge of the issue said that he has a computer in his office, one for personal use and one issued by the government.
The actor Don Bacon, the Republican in Nebraska, who suggested that Mr. Higseth be shot, said, “
Christian Tribert I mentioned from New York. Greg Jafi In Washington, it contributed to reporting Shalg Mackeel The research contributed.
