Trump's reported use of an unsecured device to tweet can be a security risk, according to analysts.
Trump's Old Phone Is A Security Threat
According to The New York Times, President Trump is still using his old Android smartphone to tweet, even after receiving a new, secure device. According to Computerworld, this breach of the security protocol has led to some strong negative reactions from various security analysts. While using the old Android mobile device for tweeting doesn't pose a national security risk, two of those analysts said that Trump might be using that Android device for other tasks that might pose such risks.
During the presidential election campaign, Trump has been very active on his Twitter account. Now, it appears that he also carried this habit into his presidency. Since moving to Washington late last week, the President keeps using his old, unsecured Android phone to post on Twitter.
Risks Of Using The Unsecured Phone For Tweeting
For the moment, it appears that Trump is not using his old Android smartphone to make calls, but rather to post on Twitter. However, it is uncertain whether some security measures have been put in place on the mobile device and how vulnerable the President could be to someone breaking into his Twitter account or stealing data.
Since Twitter requires a connection to the internet, if proper measures are not in place, this could expose the device to security vulnerabilities. Trump could be exposing personal information on the device as well as his location, in case that he uses the smartphone on an unsecured Wi-Fi network.
If Trump does more than just tweeting with his old phone, then it could become a significant problem especially if he travels with the device overseas. It is also possible some hacker could use his @realDonaldTrump handle in order to pose as President Trump. It's more about Trump's Twitter account security than the phone security, as hackers can pose like the President on any device.
In order to be able of doing that, it would likely require breaking into the wireless and wired network infrastructure or into secure Twitter servers. Or, a hacker could even gain access to Trump's Twitter user name and password.
Risks Related To Using The Unsecured Phone For Calls
When it comes to the phone's security, the main risk is that in case someone may hack Trump's unsecured Android phone, then they can always locate where the phone and the President is. This is the kind of information could be used by the foreign spy agencies. Hostile people or countries may take advantage if they get to know what Trump talks about to his inner circle.
The whole reason for giving the President a secured phone is to prevent the interception of sensitive communications and data. In this context, the fact that Trump is still using an unsecured device is troubling. And, it is ironical that Trump frequently expressed concerns during his campaign over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use for official business of a personal e-mail server.
The Secret Service has the role in protecting the President and was likely behind the decision to give Trump a more secure device just before the inauguration. At that time it was assumed that he would give up his old Samsung Galaxy S phone.
