US Congressman Reports Russian Hackers Breached His Signal Account
US Congressman Don Bacon has reported that Russian-linked hackers compromised his Signal account. The FBI and House IT office are investigating.
US Representative Don Bacon, a Republican and longtime co-chair of the Baltic Caucus, announced that hackers linked to Russia broke into his account on the messaging platform Signal. Bacon, a frequent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine, said he was informed of the breach by the FBI and the House Information Technology office, which are investigating the incident.
The hack occurred approximately four to five months ago. Bacon stated that he is not concerned about Moscow potentially obtaining classified information, as he does not use the account to store or share sensitive data. Signal is widely used by government officials, politicians, human rights activists, and journalists due to its strong encryption.
Bacon emphasized that the incident serves as a reminder that even relatively secure messaging apps can be compromised. 'People think Signal is secure – it's not,' he said, noting his role as chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, where he helps shape cybersecurity policies in the National Defense Authorization Act.
The hackers used targeted spear-phishing, posing as a close acquaintance to gain access to his account. 'It's because they're smart enough to know who my friends are,' Bacon explained.
Dutch intelligence agencies warned in March that Russian-linked hackers are targeting Signal and WhatsApp accounts of senior officials, military personnel, and journalists globally. The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have also issued recent alerts about similar attacks on current and former US officials.
Signal acknowledged the incident as part of a broader campaign, stating it takes the matter seriously. Bacon previously criticized Trump administration officials for using Signal to share classified war plans. He noted that his email was hacked by Chinese hackers in 2023, and since around 2006, he has lived with the belief that someone is always surveilling his phone.
