Donald Trump is now the President and he is still tweeting. This could put his personal information and the country at a security risk.
Trump has been using his older Android device to tweet. There are concerns on whether the device is safe to use and the vulnerability that his phone and personal information could be hacked. New York showed screenshots of his tweets referring that they are tweeted from Trump's Android device. The Guardian showed the phone number and emails with asterisks linked to Trump's twitter, shown below.
Hey @POTUS, On a serious note. Lets fix your Security settings. Should I email you? #GhostOfNoNation @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/FRdMJnZaNr
— WauchulaGhost (@WauchulaGhost) January 21, 2017
The White House declined to comment on the potential security risks.
To use Twitter, it requires the ability to connect to the internet that could put Trump's device at a security risk if a two-factor authentication isn't in place. This measure requires a password and a code to be sent to his phone. There's the other risk of Trump using his Android through an unsecure Wi-Fi network, that can reveal his location and personal information.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Intelligence Committee says “The absolutely minimum Trump could do to protect our nation is to use a secure device to protect him from foreign spies and other threats.” He added that “it would be irresponsible in the extreme for the commander in chief to use an unsecure device that could be easily hacked or intercepted.”
Security experts are concerned because they're unsure if the smartphone is suspect towards thwart hacking. Hackers could then have access into the phone's camera and microphone. Security expert Bruce Schneier says “that Android has a microphone, which means it can be turned into a room bug without anyone’s knowledge." There's also the threat of stingray devices, a surveillance application that could locate the phone's location and different pieces of information.
President Barack Obama was forced to use a secure phone that couldn't text, take pictures, or have music due to potential security risks during his term of presidency.
Kevin Bankston, the director of New America's Open Technology Institute, believes that Trump is the "biggest sitting target in the world." The security of the account raises concerns considering Trump blasted Hillary Rodham Clinton, for her use of a private e-mail server as Secretary of State.