? Hotline to Trump
President Trump might be the most accessible president ever — for spies or scammers, Axios Future of Cybersecurity author Sam Sabin writes.
He has been known to pick up when his cell rings, even if he doesn't know who's calling. Senior members of his team also love chatting on their personal devices.
Why it matters: If Trump is willing to answer unknown numbers, as The Atlantic reported this week, there's no guarantee a scammer, impersonator, or even a foreign intelligence operative couldn't have a chat with the president.
? Federal authorities are investigating a scheme where someone spoofed the phone number of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to impersonate her in calls to senators, governors and CEOs, per The Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, Chinese hackers reportedly penetrated U.S. telecom networks as early as summer 2023, according to Bloomberg — a year earlier than previously known.
That access has been used by a China-backed group, Salt Typhoon, to spy on Trump, Vice President Vance, and other officials, the N.Y. Times reported.
White House communications director Steven Cheung told Axios: "President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history. World leaders, heads of state, elected officials, and business titans all reach out to him because they know America is back under President Trump's leadership."
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