While the full scope of the hack is still unclear, the company assured that all other Smarsh products remain operational. The spokesperson did not immediately provide details about the data involved, if any. Smarsh acquired TeleMessage from an Israeli firm last year.
Reports surfaced in March about Waltz’s involvement in a sensitive Signal chat that had inadvertently included a journalist, which led to heightened scrutiny. A photo taken of Waltz during a Cabinet meeting in which he appeared to be using TeleMessage raised more concerns, showing chat logs with high-ranking officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. These individuals were part of the group chat discussing classified U.S. military operations.
Questions about Waltz’s use of TeleMessage have prompted concern, particularly about the use of foreign-developed technology to capture sensitive government communications. Joshua Steinman, a former cybersecurity official with the National Security Council, criticized the use of such technology, warning that it could be an attractive target for foreign adversaries.
Following this incident, Trump announced that Waltz would step down from his position as national security adviser to potentially take up a new role as ambassador to the United Nations, subject to Senate approval.
