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President Trump has three iPhones – two of them are "secure" and his third is a regular personal device. But whenever the commander-in-chief takes a call, his opponents are said to be listening.
That's according to a new report by The New York Times, which is a spotlight on the president's array of devices – and how he uses them.
Trump reluctantly gave up its old and outdated Android-powered Samsung Galaxy phone when it took office in 2016 and was transitioned to Apple devices. iPhones have historically been seen on their Android counterparts. Although one of the following is a regular feature of the iPhone, it has been used by the National Security Agency to prevent eavesdropping.
Except – even when you're in the White House, you can not escape the aging, ailing and insecure cell network that blankets the capital and the vast majority of the U.S.
A crucial cell network system that makes it easier for users to communicate with other companies. (Or just SS7) – have made it easier in recent years for hackers to intercept phone calls and text messages. SS7 is the protocol that uses SS7 so that it is used in the same way.
Those largely unfixed flaws make it far easier for governments – and anyone else – to be able to make calls. That includes China, Russia – and any reasonably knowledgable attacker with the resources to pull off a successful intercept.
Trump's reliance on three iPhones may seem cumbersome, but it's a step up from what has its predecessor got.
President Obama once likened his government-issued iPhone – given to him during his second term – to a "play phone [that] your 3-year-old has. "It was modified so that it could receive email but could not make calls, and did not have a camera or microphone that could not be used. It is not necessary to comply with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act, which requires their official communications.
As much as Trump has been given more than Obama, the president is still in the process of being safe. But this policy is not enforced as it is supposed to be, the report says, because of the inconvenience of having to do so – if any.
Although flaws in SS7 remain an issue for the average person, they are apparently no match for the president's own "opsec" – or operational security, an awareness of the threats that he faces and the effort to mitigate them. Even if the Chinese or the Russians are not listening to their calls, they would always try their luck in driving a golf course.
And this is someone we trust with the nuclear codes.
