TeleMessage, an app used for archiving group chats and notably utilized by former national security adviser Mike Waltz, has suspended all services following a reported hack. Smarsh, the parent company, announced it’s investigating a potential security incident and has engaged a cybersecurity firm for assistance. The suspension of services is a precautionary measure.
The app, which employs encryption techniques akin to those of the popular messaging application Signal, allows government agencies and businesses to back up chats for compliance purposes. Waltz’s recent usage of TeleMessage during a Cabinet meeting raised alarms about communication security, recalling the “Signalgate” incident where he inadvertently added a journalist to a sensitive chat regarding military operations in Yemen. Despite Signal’s robust encryption, specifics about TeleMessage’s security measures remain vague.
A hacker contacted NBC News claiming to have accessed a TeleMessage server, downloading a substantial amount of files. They provided a screenshot of TeleMessage’s contact list from Coinbase, which confirmed the authenticity of the image but clarified that it had not been hacked and assured that customer data remained secure.
At present, there is no evidence suggesting that sensitive customer information from Coinbase was compromised, as the app is not used to share critical access data. Simultaneously, another hacker claimed to have breached TeleMessage and provided considerable evidence to another tech outlet, although the scope of these hacks remains uncertain. The situation continues to develop, and the full extent of the breach is still under investigation.
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