(NewsNation) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s cybersecurity is again under scrutiny following a report from the New York Times that he used his personal cellphone for sports betting and highly sensitive military communications.
The Pentagon leader reportedly used his personal cellphone to create two Signal group chats about planned U.S. attacks on Houthis in Yemen. One included his wife and brother — neither of whom had security clearance — and the other accidentally included a reporter from the Atlantic.
Former FBI special agent and CIA officer Tracy Walder told NewsNation Hegseth’s communication practices are “very serious.”
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“When you are sending that specific of information, like F-18 flight plans, targeting information, I would have been fired at the CIA if that is how I shared information,” Walder said. “FBI as well, because I held a security clearance there. So, that’s a fireable offense.”
The report said Hegseth’s personal phone number was found on betting sites, WhatsApp and Airbnb, as recently as March.
Cybersecurity experts have warned Hegseth’s phone was likely a prime target for spyware like Pegasus, given the public availability of his number and his position at the top of the Defense Department.
“This is why we don’t communicate classified information through those channels,” Walder said.
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The report comes in the wake of sources confirming to the Associated Press that Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols. The “dirty” internet line was used to set up Signal on a personal computer, two sources said last week.
This is far from the first time Hegseth’s conduct has come under fire. His leadership at the Pentagon has been described as chaotic, with reports of staff leaks, aids turning on each other and questions about his fitness for the role.
Hegseth has not publicly denied using his personal phone for official business. There has not yet been word on whether the Pentagon’s inspector general or federal prosecutors will launch a formal investigation.
