Is Trump Tweeting From a 'Secure' Smartphone? The White House Won't Say

[Zippyjuan]

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/02/03/513256171/is-trump-tweeting-from-a-secure-smartphone-the-white-house-wont-say


For some time, the public has known that Donald Trump does a lot of his tweeting himself, from the account @realDonaldTrump, and from an Android smartphone. But many cybersecurity experts believed that would change once Trump took the oath of office, because White House-approved communication devices are much more secured — and stripped down — than the smartphones the rest of us use.

In fact, former President Barack Obama once compared his official White House smartphone to a child's toy. "It doesn't take pictures, you can't text," Obama told Jimmy Fallon in 2016. "The phone doesn't work. You can't play your music on it. So, basically, it's like — does your 3-year-old have one of those play phones?"

A few recent reports indicate that President Trump might still be tweeting from his old Android, and he may not even be following all the security protocols he should.

Unsecure smartphone

Soon after Trump's inauguration, an enterprising hacker found that Trump's @realDonaldTrump account was still tied to the Gmail account of a staffer, a move seen as insecure. (The account now seems to be connected to more official and secure White House email accounts.) And a January article in The New York Times reported that Trump continues to tweet from an "old, unsecured Android phone."

Several cybersecurity experts told NPR, if that's the case, it's not good.

"Donald Trump for the longest time has been using a insecure Android phone that by all reports is so easy to compromise, it would not meet the security requirements of a teenager," says Nicholas Weaver, a computer scientist at the University of California at Berkeley.

Weaver doesn't have any first-hand knowledge of the security standards on Trump's phone. But he says knowing that a sitting president has an insecure Android, "we must assume that his phone has actively been compromised for a while, and a actively compromised phone is literally a listening device."

Other cybersecurity experts didn't offer predictions that dire, but half a dozen of them told NPR that if Trump is still using an unsecured Android, even if only to tweet, malware could infiltrate the phone's camera or microphone, or even use geolocation to tell hackers the president's whereabouts.

Melanie Teplinsky, a privacy expert at American University, says even without those worst-case scenarios, just hacking into Trump's Twitter account alone could wreak havoc.

"Another concern is that someone tries to influence stock markets or politics through the use of a Twitter account by making false posts," she says.

No comment

NPR reached out the White House for comment on Trump's tweeting and smartphone use. We asked a few questions:

Is Trump tweeting from a secured device?
Are those reports of Trump using an old, unsecured Android true?
Is the Trump administration following all the cybersecurity protocols it should?
The administration gave no answers to those questions, and no confirmation or denial of all those reports that Trump is using an unsecured device. But deputy White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham tells NPR, "We don't comment on security protocols of any kind."

The absence of a clear statement from the White House on the security of Trump's communications, matched with the continued reports of unsecured smartphone use, has led some to accuse Trump of hypocrisy.

"He and so many during the campaign were so critical of Secretary (Hillary) Clinton for what they felt were inappropriate practices," says Michael Sulmeyer, director of the Cyber Security Project at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "And it really is the height of hypocrisy to ... on day one, be doubling down on the exact type of behavior they had no problem riling up the base with."

Avi Rubin, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University, says: "If President Trump is carrying around an unsecured Android phone, that's 1,000 times worse than using a personal email server."

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

So tweeting information that is actually meant for the public is worse than high level government information on a personal email?

[The Northbreather]

I'm betting that trump has long had cyber security folks working for him.

They probably do a better job being that they are hired to look after someone's private security/business.

He probably trusts his own team more than some strange hand-me-down goons left over from political enemies, I would.

[timosman]

At least Trump is not promoting Snapchat.

[MallsRGood]

Is he really even tweeting?

With his well known obsessions and limited vocabulary, I imagine it'd be pretty easy to write a program to autogenerate Trumpisms.

[timosman]

Is he really even tweeting?

With his well known obsessions and limited vocabulary, I imagine it'd be pretty easy to write a program to autogenerate Trumpisms.

Not as easy as yours. :cool:

[MallsRGood]

No, Trump's a man of simpler interests.



how much people like him
how terrific people who like him are
nuclear, especially the power
the size of things in comparison to other things

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

This thread is great. It's going to be tremendous.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

@realDonaldTrump,




My question is this @RealZippyJuan? This thread is not Zip caliber. More like an intern.

[LibertyRevolution]

Trump can tweet from Putin's cell phone for all I care, it is his personal account...

[KrokHead]

So tweeting information that is actually meant for the public is worse than high level government information on a personal email?

Exactly!

Signed,
Mainstream media

[tod evans]

Avi Rubin, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University, says: "If President Trump is carrying around an unsecured Android phone, that's 1,000 times worse than using a personal email server."

WTF?

Even a Luddite such as myself can see a difference between tweeting opinions and sending/storing sensitive documents..

[CPUd]

WTF?

Even a Luddite such as myself can see a difference between tweeting opinions and sending/storing sensitive documents..

Phones can do much more than post tweets. Most are equipped with cameras, microphones and GPS transmitters.

[luctor-et-emergo]

Phones can do much more than post tweets. Most are equipped with cameras, microphones and GPS transmitters.

I would say that all phones are equipped with microphones but correct me if I am wrong.

[presence]

I would say that all phones are equipped with microphones but correct me if I am wrong.

most modern phones have multiple mics; the primary for face to the phone private conversation with limited range, a secondary for speaker phone, and some come with a 3rd for broader scope; recording a music event for example.

The concern would be activation secondary/tertiary mic which can pick up conversations from futher away.


Microphones on various models of phones vary quite a bit. Newer phones have two or three microphones, but differ quite a bit in their sound recording abilities. Especially problematic seems to be recording loud sounds, such as concerts, although even those capabilities are improving.
http://www.wildmountainechoes.com/equipment/audio-recording-with-a-smartphone/

[EBounding]

Breaking DT alert:

827885966509604865

[tod evans]

Phones can do much more than post tweets. Most are equipped with cameras, microphones and GPS transmitters.

Okay, so what?

What politician, or person for that matter, doesn't carry a cell phone?

Why would this be a big deal?

[tod evans]

Fuckin' double post gremlins

[69360]

Forget the security issues for a second. It's just insanity that the president of the US is sending unfiltered insults in the middle of the night with no oversight. Trump is unhinged, he is going to piss off the wrong world leader soon enough.

[staerker]

Forget the security issues for a second. It's just insanity that the president of the US is sending unfiltered insults in the middle of the night with no oversight. Trump is unhinged, he is going to piss off the wrong world leader soon enough.

The leaked Podesta emails revealed how statements usually get processed. A simple tweet is passed between dozens of aides, who nitpick every detail for days, before publishing the tweet the Hillary's initials.

Most Americans don't think it is insanity to speak one's mind.

[tod evans]

Most Americans don't think it is insanity to speak one's mind.

I'm all for unfiltered.

No matter who we're talking about.

[69360]

Unfiltered is great and all until Trump wakes up at 2 am and half asleep calls Kim Jong Un a little fatass, nukes fly and millions die. Don't say it can't happen.

[tod evans]

Unfiltered is great and all until Trump wakes up at 2 am and half asleep calls Kim Jong Un a little fatass, nukes fly and millions die. Don't say it can't happen.

What you seem to be missing is that you're speaking about the most powerful elected official in the US when you would have him monitored like a horny teenager...

Who exactly would you have monitor him?

And under what authority?

[timosman]

Forget the security issues for a second. It's just insanity that the president of the US is sending unfiltered insults in the middle of the night with no oversight. Trump is unhinged, he is going to piss off the wrong world leader soon enough.

Who do you have in mind specifically? Putin?

[timosman]

What you seem to be missing is that you're speaking about the most powerful elected official in the US when you would have him monitored like a horny teenager...

Who exactly would you have monitor him?

And under what authority?

Campaign donations?;)

[timosman]

Most Americans don't think it is insanity to speak one's mind.

Especially the ones who had to lie on their citizenship applications. :cool:

[69360]

What you seem to be missing is that you're speaking about the most powerful elected official in the US when you would have him monitored like a horny teenager...

Who exactly would you have monitor him?

And under what authority?

Who knows? It's unprecedented to have a president behaving like a teenager.

[MallsRGood]

The leaked Podesta emails revealed how statements usually get processed. A simple tweet is passed between dozens of aides, who nitpick every detail for days, before publishing the tweet the Hillary's initials.

Most Americans don't think it is insanity to speak one's mind.

Depends on what kind of thoughts said mind is processing...

But anyway, I don't think the tweeter-in-chief's inane rantings are all that dangerous (world leaders will soon learn not to take him seriously).

But it does help discredit Trump, which is good (the people who currently find this refreshing will soon find it as pathetic as the rest of us do).

So, have at it, I say.

[FSP-Rebel]

WTF?

Even a Luddite such as myself can see a difference between tweeting opinions and sending/storing sensitive documents..

Maybe this prof is taking one for the fake news team considering no one with a brain would equivocate, much less say it's a 1000% worse, that tweeting around thoughts about politics is in any way comparable to sending classified content on an unsecure private server just for the sake of hiding a trail of treasonous dealings that made her rich. Even Zip realizes this is lightweight material at best and hasn't came back with the research dept for a brainstorming session on how to make something out of this nonsense.

[Clement Vallandigham]

F this site

[Ender]

Interesting......



Headed to Auction: Hitler’s ‘Mobile Device of Destruction’

By Jennifer Cruz

An old rotary phone that’s been tucked away in an English house in the country since 1945 is headed to auction in the United States later this month. Its significance? The antique phone, described by the auction house as a “mobile device of destruction,” once belonged to Adolf Hitler.

Recovered from the Fuhrerbunker during the last days of World War II, the phone was “arguably the most destructive ‘weapon’ of all time, which sent millions to their deaths around the world,” Alexander Historical Auctions noted in a description.

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/02/no_author/hitlers-mobile-phone/

[69360]

Trump has had a guy tweet for him for more than a year. He doesn't actually do it. It is probably secure in some way. Source: I have friends that were on the transition team.

Uh huh. You joined to post this? Real believable.

[Clement Vallandigham]

no

[Ender]

I swear to god. It is 100 percent true. Not trolling. All his $#@! is completely calculated thats how he won. Read art of the deal to see how he operates.

So, the guy who tweets for Trump has the same bad basic grammer skills?

Interesting......

[Clement Vallandigham]

chimp

[Ender]

The same grammar is used in his ghostwritten books. It is not hard to emulate. It is the common speech of a NY moron. I am well connected so I know what i am talking about. He sometimes tweets himself but largely dictates them. Most of the time the guy will just make up tweets and get his approval. His people are playing 4d chess. It is why he tweets out crazy stuff like all the popular vote win totals Hillary got were from illegals. Maybe 1/3 of them were but by Trump saying crazy stuff he gets the press to investigate even that. All Politics mang. Fires up his base.

Again, interesting.......

[69360]

I swear to god. It is 100 percent true. Not trolling. All his $#@! is completely calculated thats how he won. Read art of the deal to see how he operates.

Of course it is true. You are a Trump insider with all the connections who joined an obscure forum just to post about it.

MAGA

[nikcers]

In the future we will not question at all whether or not Trump was an actor speaking in a dialect his audience expects him to speak in. It will be common knowledge that he was talking down to everyone. If you've played fallout you would understand Trump has like max speech like level 100 fallout speech.

[Clement Vallandigham]

dip

[nikcers]

I am a market anarchist and proud Ron and Rand Paul supporter who voted for Gary Johnson. I also happen to have friends who work for Trump. Sorry if this somehow offends you. I commend you for keeping those friends, lots of people lost friends in the election

[Clement Vallandigham]

I commend you for keeping those friends, lots of people lost friends in the election

Tell me about it fam. Also I don't know why me posting a comment caused such a shoah lol.

[P3ter_Griffin]

The same grammar is used in his ghostwritten books. It is not hard to emulate. It is the common speech of a NY moron. I am well connected so I know what i am talking about. He sometimes tweets himself but largely dictates them. Most of the time the guy will just make up tweets and get his approval. His people are playing 4d chess. It is why he tweets out crazy stuff like all the popular vote win totals Hillary got were from illegals. Maybe 1/3 of them were but by Trump saying crazy stuff he gets the press to investigate even that. All Politics mang. Fires up his base.

Good Lord, NC. Get a productive job you schmuck.

[Clement Vallandigham]

Good Lord, NC. Get a productive job you schmuck.

U wut m8?

[nikcers]

Good Lord, NC. Get a productive job you schmuck. Is it like an anagram or something? Here I was thinking he was the guy in the white van sitting across the street.

[Clement Vallandigham]

dwip

[Clement Vallandigham]

I know what I am talking about

[nikcers]

What is the frickin' problem with you people? I am telling you a 100 percent fact. Trump does not do his own tweets. Why would I come here just to post that? I mean Jesus Christ people. This is why I stopped using the Daily Paul forums in 2012. People would get mad for no reason and throw out conspiracies and crap constantly. Stupid. I was being sarcastic and giving P3ter a few friendly jabs. NC is a resident Troll on this board who likes to call everyone a sockpuppet.

[Clement Vallandigham]

I was being sarcastic and giving P3ter a few friendly jabs. NC is a resident Troll on this board who likes to call everyone a sockpuppet.

okay

[P3ter_Griffin]

Is it like an anagram or something? Here I was thinking he was the guy in the white van sitting across the street.

Writing style:


saying crazy stuff he gets the press to investigate even that. All Politics mang. Fires up his base.

I could be wrong of course.

[P3ter_Griffin]

I was being sarcastic and giving P3ter a few friendly jabs. NC is a resident Troll on this board who likes to call everyone a sockpuppet.

No, not NCL.

[nikcers]

Writing style:



I could be wrong of course.
Yeah I just kinda feel bad for the guy, and I did my best to warn people on here from becoming him. Some people will never get over losing, the libertarianish Trump supporters will be the biggest losers because they backed the opposite of one. They will redefine their loss or themselves if their ego doesn't get checked. Either that or he is just trolling out of spite, in that case then I feel bad for him as well.

[Clement Vallandigham]

f y'all

[P3ter_Griffin]

What is the frickin' problem with you people? I am telling you a 100 percent fact. Trump does not do his own tweets. Why would I come here just to post that? I mean Jesus Christ people. This is why I stopped using the Daily Paul forums in 2012. People would get mad for no reason and throw out conspiracies and crap constantly. Stupid.

In the case that I'm wrong I'd ask you to just ignore me.

end derail/

[Clement Vallandigham]

I am just a guy that like Ron Paul and knows people in Trumps orbit.

[Clement Vallandigham]

In the case that I'm wrong I'd ask you to just ignore me.

end derail/

I will

[timosman]

I am just a guy that like Ron Paul and knows people in Trumps orbit.

We heard you the first time. :cool:

[nikcers]

I am just a guy that like Ron Paul and knows people in Trumps orbit. now you're trying too hard, let the reader decide who they want to believe that you are guy in the white van :)

[timosman]

Some guy goes on a small forum to troll people? Makes absolute sense fam. Jesus Christ. That's one thing that always annoyed me about the Daily Paul forums and and my fellow Ron Paul supporters in general. The conspiracy theories. Zomg its all a conspiracy.

Thank you for blessing us with your presence. ;)

[Clement Vallandigham]

you guys are huge cucks

[timosman]

I know what I am talking about

I don't think you have to say that. I doubt there is anybody who would question that.:rolleyes:

[timosman]

you guys are huge cucks

Coming from you it is probably a compliment. Why don't you go and troll somewhere else? :confused:

[Clement Vallandigham]

Coming from you it is probably a compliment. Why don't you go and troll somewhere else? :confused:

Im not trolling.

[timosman]

Im not trolling.

How many posts did you make in the last hour?:eek:

[tod evans]

you guys are huge cucks

Oh good grief there's another 'special' child in our midst...

Your vocabulary (or lack there of) gave you away....

Does it hurt?

[Clement Vallandigham]

member berries

[Clement Vallandigham]

pineapple

[nikcers]

You guys are huge $#@!ing ******s. $#@! you guys especially you. I am not coming back. I haven't even done anything. This is why we need thicker skin. This is how the establishment divide and conquer every time.

[Ender]

Can we just all stop with the name-calling and insults????

The forum is turning into a barrel of brats and is very hard to support.

If we are Liberty Lovers, then give people the benefit of the doubt.

Trolls/idiots/haters will soon oust themselves and can be ignored out of forum existence.

[Clement Vallandigham]

barney is love

[tod evans]

I am not a troll and these guys are all on my dick. I don't know what the damn problem is. I messaged the site to ask how to delete my profile. F this place. I haven't done anything. 1 hour in and it is a complete shoah. This is why I left Daily Paul. How do I delete my profile?

You can't.

Your eloquent prose will remain for internet eternity.

How's it feel to be special?

[Ender]

I am not a troll and these guys are all on my dick. I don't know what the damn problem is. I messaged the site to ask how to delete my profile. F this place. I haven't done anything. 1 hour in and it is a complete shoah. This is why I left Daily Paul. How do I delete my profile?

Don't delete- everyone's been in a quandary since Trump became viable; stick around- you'll find friends.

[Clement Vallandigham]

the game

[nikcers]

I am not a troll and these guys are all on my dick. I don't know what the damn problem is. I messaged the site to ask how to delete my profile. F this place. I haven't done anything. 1 hour in and it is a complete shoah. This is why I left Daily Paul. How do I delete my profile?
You
can not resist
You
will be assimilated
resistance is futile.

[Clement Vallandigham]

Don't delete- everyone's been in a quandary since Trump became viable; stick around- you'll find friends.

I want to delete

[Ender]

You
can not resist
You
will be assimilated
resistance is futile.

LOL

[nikcers]

How's it feel to suck dick ***?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXyB7niEc0

[Ender]

I want to delete

As you wish.......


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88svMqo3ZEk

[Clement Vallandigham]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3riK1oGeTchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3riK1oGeTc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXyB7niEc0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3riK1oGeTc

[P3ter_Griffin]

Riddle of the day:

How many accounts does NC need to win a debate against R3v?

Answer:

He never could.

[Clement Vallandigham]

[QUOTE=Ender;6411584]As you wish.......

How do I do it?

[nikcers]

How do I do it?

If you figure how to delete something from the internet then maybe you can save the world from our government.

[Clement Vallandigham]

chip dip

[tod evans]

Oh good grief there's another 'special' child in our midst...

Your vocabulary (or lack there of) gave you away....

Does it hurt?


The profile you nig not the posts. Idgaf. F you guys.

^^^^^^^^^^ The gift that keeps giving. ^^^^^^^^^

[Clement Vallandigham]

jew

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Breaking DT alert:

827885966509604865





OMFG! There must be an investigation before he throws that phone in the river!!!!

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

F this site


A song for you, Clement.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM

[nikcers]

F this site


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1VxaMEjRU

[LibertyRevolution]

he is going to piss off the wrong world leader soon enough.

I am pretty sure this is a goal, war is good for business...

He is going to make America great again!!
Like after WWII when we were the manufacture for the world, since most other developed nations had their industrial areas turned to rubble.

[Natural Citizen]

Good Lord, NC. Get a productive job you schmuck.


NC is a resident Troll on this board who likes to call everyone a sockpuppet.
Are you two, talking about me? Of all people on this board, why do you want to tinker with me? Hm? Why? I'm minding my own business. Heck, I haven't even been around here much lately. I'll tell you something, though, if you two peckerheads want to make a claim like that, then you're gonna have to back it up. I might be a lot of things, but a troll, I am not. I assure you both of that. I likely get more done in a 30 minute lunch meeting that you two drones get done in an entire year.

[nikcers]

Are you two, talking about me? Of all people on this board, why do you want to tinker with me? Hm? Why? I'm minding my own business. Heck, I haven't even been around here much lately. I'll tell you something, though, if you two peckerheads want to make a claim like that, then you're gonna have to back it up. I might be a lot of things, but a troll, I am not. I assure you both of that. I likely get more done in a 30 minute lunch meeting that you two drones get done in an entire year.
I just realized- I thought P3ter was talking about NCL. He even tried to correct me there. No bones with you my friend you have only educated me on libertarian philosophy. You are way to pure to be a troll, I am sorry sir your posts are usually most enlightening.