TeleMessage Temporarily Suspends Services Following Reported Hack Involving Former U.S. Official

TeleMessage, a communications app used by former U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, has temporarily suspended its services after a reported security breach.

The app’s parent company, Smarsh, confirmed via email that it is "investigating a potential security incident" and has taken the step to halt operations "out of an abundance of caution."

The incident gained attention after a Reuters photograph showed Waltz using TeleMessage—a modified version of the encrypted messaging app Signal—during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Waltz was removed from his position the next day following mounting criticism over his use of an unofficial messaging group to share updates on U.S. military activity in Yemen.

Concerns escalated when it emerged that Waltz, or someone using his account, had mistakenly added a journalist to the Signal group, raising alarms about operational security.

On Sunday, tech news site 404 Media reported that a hacker had infiltrated TeleMessage’s backend infrastructure, gaining access to and intercepting some users’ messages. The hacker reportedly shared stolen content with the publication, some of which was independently verified.

The breach has intensified scrutiny over the use of unofficial communication tools by government officials, particularly those handling sensitive national security matters.

TeleMessage and Smarsh have not yet confirmed the scope of the breach or the number of affected users. Investigations are ongoing.