Key facts
- The personal mobile phone numbers of UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Alex Norris, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant were found published online.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently engaged in a texting scam with an individual impersonating Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's White House Chief of Staff.
- The numbers were discovered by POLITICO after the incident involving Prime Minister Burnham.
- Streeting's number has been removed from the web, and efforts are underway to delete the others.
- Experts warn that exposed numbers pose security risks, especially in a high-threat global environment.
The personal mobile phone numbers of three U.K. Cabinet ministers, including Defense Secretary Wes Streeting, have been discovered published online. This revelation follows an incident where Prime Minister Andy Burnham reportedly engaged with a texting scam, interacting with messages from someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s White House Chief of Staff.
POLITICO found the published numbers for Streeting, Justice Secretary Alex Norris, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant. The publication is withholding the exact location of the numbers to prevent further security risks. While Streeting's number has since been removed, efforts are underway to delete the others. Ministers are expected to use secure government devices for official communications, particularly in high-risk roles like defense.
Prerana Joshi, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, stated that having direct numbers for Cabinet ministers publicly available is a security risk, warning that such numbers could be spoofed and exploited by cybercriminals, especially given the UK's current high-threat global situation.
Downing Street declined to comment on the specifics of Burnham's exchange with the impersonator, citing national security. A person briefed on the communications described the messages as "of no significance." It remains unclear how the fraudster obtained Burnham's number, as it was not found published online. A White House official confirmed that the incident was not related to any hacking of Wiles' devices.
Former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who himself was targeted by imposters, commented that the incident highlights how adversaries seek vulnerabilities in communications. He also warned of the potential for kompromat, or compromising material, to be obtained by hostile actors, and noted that advancements in technology like AI voice cloning will likely lead to more such incidents.
Conversely, Guto Harri, Boris Johnson's former director of communications, argued that the threat and embarrassment depend on whether sensitive information was divulged, which does not appear to be the case. He suggested it is healthy for the Prime Minister to not have all calls screened by the civil service, advocating for a balance between security and normal human interaction.