National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard testified before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, showing that government-issued devices have the encrypted messaging program Signal pre-installed. This revelation follows a huge cyberattack traceable to China that compromised last year’s US telecommunications networks, casting a shadow of doubt on the safety of sensitive communications within government.
Gabbard referenced recommendations from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in December advising that “highly targeted persons,” including those in government, employ only end-to-end encrypted messaging applications. Signal was an app specifically referred to as such an example. The news occurred just one day after CIA Chief John Ratcliffe informed the Senate Intelligence Committee that Signal had been installed on his CIA devices the moment he began his tenure in office.
Its use in official government business has come under criticism, especially after reports indicated that senior Trump administration officials had used the app to organize a recent attack on Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen. Its security implications for trusting a platform previously downplayed for use in government communications are now being questioned by lawmakers.
In 2021, the Defense Department’s Inspector General rebuked a top Pentagon official for employing Signal, while the National Security Agency (NSA) recently cautioned its staff that the app was a “high-value target” for cyber attacks. Experts emphasize that although Signal offers robust encryption, it must not be employed for classified conversations, as sensitive data is still vulnerable to interception.
Neither CISA nor the Office of the Director of National Intelligence immediately commented on the issue. As cybersecurity worries grow, officials are now arguing whether more secure, stronger options should be required for government communications.
