White House Probes Hack of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ Phone in Sophisticated Cyberattack

The White House is actively investigating a sophisticated cyberattack targeting the personal phone of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, raising concerns about the security of sensitive government communications.

Hackers reportedly accessed Wiles’ contact list, using the stolen information to impersonate her and contact other high-ranking U.S. officials and influential figures.

The breach, first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by CBS News, involved the use of artificial intelligence to mimic Wiles’ voice in phone calls and text messages sent from an unfamiliar number.

This incident marks the latest in a series of cybersecurity challenges facing the Trump administration since taking office earlier this year.

Details of the Cyberattack

The breach compromised Wiles’ personal phone contacts, exposing the phone numbers of top U.S. officials and prominent individuals. The hackers leveraged advanced techniques, including AI-generated voice impersonation, to deceive recipients into believing they were communicating with Wiles.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to comment on whether a cloud account linked to Wiles’ device was breached or if the attack involved government-grade spyware, citing the ongoing investigation.

The White House emphasized its commitment to staff cybersecurity, stating, “We take these matters seriously, and the investigation is ongoing to determine the full scope of the incident.”

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A Pattern of Cybersecurity Breaches

This is not the first time Wiles has been targeted by cybercriminals. In 2024, The Washington Post reported an attempt by Iranian hackers to compromise Wiles’ personal email account.

Subsequent reporting by The Wall Street Journal revealed that the hackers succeeded, obtaining a dossier on then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The latest attack underscores a troubling pattern of cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the Trump administration.

In March 2025, former national security adviser Michael Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal group chat containing sensitive discussions about a planned military airstrike in Yemen.

Further investigations revealed that the group was using TeleMessage, a Signal clone app designed for government archiving, which was hacked on at least two occasions, exposing private messages.

Did You Know?
In 2024, the FBI reported that AI-driven cyberattacks, including voice cloning and deepfake scams, cost U.S. organizations over $3 billion, with government officials increasingly targeted due to their access to sensitive information.

Broader Implications for National Security

The repeated targeting of senior officials highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks on government personnel, particularly those using personal devices for official communications.

Recent reports indicate that cyberattacks on U.S. officials have surged by 20% since 2023, with foreign actors increasingly deploying AI-driven tactics to exploit vulnerabilities.

The use of AI to impersonate Wiles’ voice raises alarms about the potential for deepfake technology to manipulate sensitive government interactions. As the investigation unfolds, experts are urging the White House to strengthen cybersecurity protocols for both official and personal devices used by top officials.