House Bans WhatsApp on Congressional Staff Devices Over Security Concerns

The U.S. House chief administrative officer has banned WhatsApp from congressional staffers' government devices citing data vulnerability concerns. The cybersecurity office deemed the messaging app "high-risk" due to lack of transparency in data protection, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks, according to an email obtained by Axios.

Staff cannot download or keep WhatsApp on any House device, including mobile, desktop, or web browser versions.

But

[BroccoliKing]

Is Signal still ok?

Re:

[bill_mcgonigle]

Yes, it has those features, but if I were them I'd compile it myself to prevent supply-chain attacks.

At least to verify the hash-- reproducible builds are valuable.

Can't do that with WhatsApp.

Re:

[Vlad_the_Inhaler]

If they're going to use Signal, they could at least make contributions towards Signal's development (financial, not code).

Re:

[AleRunner]

Yes, it has those features, but if I were them I'd compile it myself to prevent supply-chain attacks.

Signal was one of the apps which was okay for installation on non-classified government phones. That means they've supposed to have done at least some basic checks that it isn't malware. I believe that they also use/recommend/require a custom app which is deliberately "less"/differently secure in that it records the conversations for compliance with presidential records acts. That's all part of the reason why Hesgeth got away with having used it after declaring that pre-information that an attack was going

Re:But

[Valgrus Thunderaxe]

I'm surprised anyone is just allowed to install whatever they want on government devices and this only an issue now.

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

The courts blinked and allowed the administration to do as it pleases.

Re: But

[argStyopa]

That pesky Constitution!

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Trump can disregard it at will. Pesky is a vast overestimate of the Constitutions current power.

Re:

[argStyopa]

If that's your cope for simply being wrong, good luck with that.

Strangely, the founding fathers didn't empower the judicial to overrule the executive everytime liberals got butthurt (ie 100% of the time).

Win an election, motherfucker.

Re:

[argStyopa]

Trumps not a king, has never tried to be, nor will your constant bedwetting over it make it so.

You guys are hilarious.
Now you can move to NY and enjoy your upcoming Socialist Utopia.

Re:

[Big Bipper]

Used to be you could get away with running your own unauthorized e-mail server. Still nobody in jail for that.

Re:But

[aitikin]

I don't know about the House, but Truth Social is the only acceptable app for the executive branch, obviously!

Re:

[skam240]

Signal works great but isnt idiot proof. Sadly, this administration seems to need idiot proof.

This administration's bungling does point to a security flaw in the government using any commercial chat app in that anyone with the app can be accidentally invited which allows a rout into our government's secure communications by both reporters and adversarial governments though. But then if they used the communication channels provided for by our government they wouldnt be able to get around the Federal Records

Re: But

[DodgyGeezer]

Security is only as good as the weakest link, which is always a software problem.

Re: But

[Big Hairy Gorilla]

The weakest link is always people. That had never been in question.

Re: But

[DodgyGeezer]

Your right: I meant to write "isn't" always". The omission of the "not" makes a big difference. I was thinking that top secret operation information was recently leaked precisely because of human incompetence.

Re:

[sconeu]

It's impossible to make anything idiot proof, because idiots are so ingenious.

Re:

[Big Bipper]

They're not ingenious, they're just persistent. Remember what an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters can do.

Re:

[bleedingobvious]

The NSA has compromised it (see - Snowden's leaks from more than a decade ago about how pretty much all encrypted traffic is being intercepted by the NSA, see also [snipped babble]

.. .the heck are you babbling about? We're not talking about SSL here? Are you even aware of how Open Whisper is architected? On what are you making these baseless cliams?

T.Carlson is a ranting buffoon who couldn't figure out a route through an underpass... How is this moron your choice of "argument from authority"?

Re:But

[ArchieBunker]

It is as long as you use the complimentary Whitehouse wifi provided by Starlink. https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com]

And now a thought experiment for the fans of this administration.

If Biden had installed wifi in the Whitehouse and it was paid for by George Soros, would you feel any different?

Re:

[nicolaiplum]

Yes, Signal is still OK because it's used to inform the press about near-future US Government actions.

Great this will improve Signal's usage

[blahbooboo]

Anything done that can lower the use of Meta's spyware apps and move folks to Signal is a great idea.

Jul 09, 2024: WhatsApp Security Issues

[Futurepower(R)]

Jul 09, 2024:
New Report Exposes Security Issues With WhatsApp Apps [forbes.com]

AIM

[awwshit]

Right back to AIM, no doubt.

Let's hear it for Hegseth!

[ArchieBunker]

For not texting the Iran bombing schedule to a journalist this time around.

Damn, the bar sure is low in this administration.