Spiegel: Personal data of senior US national security officials found in the public domain
Pete Hegset (Photo: Win Mcnamee/EPA)
According to an investigation by the German publication Der Spiegel, the private contact information of high-ranking security officials within US President Donald Trump’s administration has been exposed online, including mobile numbers, email addresses, and even some passwords linked to these prominent officials.
The reporters utilized commercial search engines and accessed hacked customer data that was made available online. Among those whose information was compromised were White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
It appears that most of these phone numbers and email addresses are still active, with some associated with social media accounts like Instagram and LinkedIn. There are also WhatsApp profiles corresponding to these phone numbers, and in certain instances, Signal accounts as well.
The reporters noted that it was notably simple to locate Hegseth’s mobile number and email address. They consulted a commercial contact information service, primarily used by businesses for sales, marketing, and hiring purposes.
By providing a link to the Pentagon chief’s LinkedIn profile, they obtained a Gmail address and mobile phone number, among other details. A review of the leaked user data indicated that the email address, and in some cases the associated password, could be found in over 20 public sources. Using this publicly available information, they confirmed that the email address had been utilized just days earlier.
Furthermore, the mobile phone number retrieved led to a WhatsApp account that Hegseth had seemingly deleted recently. This account showcased a photo of the secretary himself without a shirt, wearing a baseball cap, and surrounded by children.
Waltz’s mobile number and email address were discoverable using the same service provider. The phone number was even accessible through a widely-used US people search engine. The reporters also uncovered several email passwords within public databases. This information also directed them to Waltz’s profiles on Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Signal.
The journalists observed that Gabbard appeared to exercise more caution with her information compared to her two male counterparts. Her personal details were reportedly shielded from the commercial contact search systems that contained the data of Hegseth and Waltz. However, her email address was accessible on WikiLeaks and Reddit.
The National Intelligence Chief’s email address is listed in more than 10 sources. One of these sources also includes a partial phone number, which, when completed, leads to an active WhatsApp account and a Signal profile.
“The compromised data of key politicians could be exploited by hackers to execute phishing schemes and gain unauthorized access to devices and various services, including email, messaging apps, and PayPal,” remarked Donald Ortmann, an expert in information security, data acquisition, and social engineering.
To safeguard the personal contact details of US politicians, the magazine has opted not to disclose the phone numbers, email addresses, and passwords discovered. Moreover, no tests were conducted to ascertain whether the passwords for the email addresses remained active. The journalists informed Gabbard, Hegseth, and Waltz of their findings.
- On March 24, 2025, it was disclosed that Goldberg had accessed a group chat on the Signal messenger that included senior officials from the Trump administration. The conversation covered US strategies for strikes against terrorists in Yemen.
- The Pentagon chief labeled the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic a “liar” and refuted the chat correspondence.
- Speaker Johnson stated that the Trump administration should not face repercussions for the Signal leak.
- On March 26, The Atlantic released further messages from a Signal group chat detailing the specifics of the US assault on Yemen.
