In a letter sent to the leadership of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and fellow Democrats called for an investigation into the personal cybersecurity practices of President Donald Trump and his staff.
“We are writing to request that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hold a hearing into troubling reports that the President is jeopardizing national security by egregiously failing to implement commonsense security measures across the board, from using an insecure, consumer-grade Android smartphone to discussing nuclear strategy openly in a dining room at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida,” the letter said.
The letter specifically addressed concerns that Trump was using an Android phone with known vulnerabilities, likely a Samsung Galaxy S3.
“Cybersecurity experts universally agree that an ordinary Android smartphone, which the President is reportedly using despite repeated warnings from the Secret Service, can be easily hacked,” the letter said.
Should the president’s phone be hacked, the letter also notes that his Twitter account could be susceptible to hijack as well.
“Reports that senior White House staff may have been using insecure, political email accounts from within the White House in connection with official business are deeply concerning and merit closer investigation,” the letter said, adding that members of Congress adamantly pursued investigating similar issues–former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server, and private email accounts used in the George W. Bush administration.
“This behavior is more than bad operational security—it is an egregious affront to national security,” the letter said.
