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Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth used unsecured internet at office to connect to Signal: Report
Signal is a commercially available app that is not authorized to be used for sensitive or classified information. It's encrypted, but it can be hacked.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, AP reported.
The existence of an unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about his alleged use of the unclassified app, raising the possibility of sensitive defence information being put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.
Signal is a commercially available app that is not authorized to be used for sensitive or classified information. It's encrypted, but it can be hacked.
The National Security Agency issued a warning earlier this year about concerns that foreign hackers could try to target government officials using Signal. Google also advised caution about Russia-aligned hackers targeting Signal users.
An unsecured connection is used to directly connect to the public internet, where the user's information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon's secured connections maintain.
Other Pentagon offices have used them, particularly if needed to monitor information or websites that would otherwise be blocked.
But the biggest advantage of using such a line is that the user would not show up as one of the many IP addresses assigned to the Defense Department. Essentially, the user is masked, a senior US official told AP.
According to the AP report, officials said that Hegseth set up an unsecured internet connection in his office to use the Signal app. It has become a flashpoint following revelations that he allegedly posted sensitive details about a military airstrike in two chats that each had more than a dozen people.
ALSO READ: Pete Hegseth Signal chat row: Who was in the group and what information was shared?
One of the chats included his wife and brother, while the other included President Donald Trump’s top national security officials.
Cchief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the defense secretary's “use of communications systems and channels is classified.”
“However, we can confirm that the Secretary has never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer," Parnell said in a statement.
Besides facing questions from both Democrats and Republicans about his handling of sensitive information, Hegseth dismissed or transferred multiple close advisers, tightly narrowing his inner circle and adding to the turmoil following the firings of several senior military officers in recent months.
Trump, administration officials rally behind Hegseth
Trump and other administration officials have given Hegseth their full support. They have blamed employees, they say were disgruntled for leaking information to journalists, with Trump saying this week,“It’s just fake news. They just bring up stories.”
“I have 100% confidence in the secretary. I know the president does and, really, the entire team does," Vice President JD Vance said.
(With AP inputs)
