A new investigation has raised fresh concerns about National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s digital security practices, suggesting that his recent error involving a Signal group chat may be part of a broader pattern of recklessness.
According to a WIRED report published Wednesday, Waltz left his Venmo friend list publicly accessible—a potentially serious oversight given his high-ranking position and ongoing involvement in a growing national security scandal. Earlier this week, Waltz was identified as the official who mistakenly included a journalist in a Signal chat where Trump administration officials discussed top-secret military strike plans.
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“A WIRED analysis shows that the account revealed the names of hundreds of Waltz’s personal and professional associates, including journalists, military officers, lobbyists, and others—information a foreign intelligence service or other actors could exploit for any number of ends,” the outlet reported.
While no financial transactions were visible, the friend list revealed a network of individuals closely tied to the Trump administration. Notably, it included Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, and Walker Barrett, a staffer on the National Security Council—both of whom also participated in the now-infamous Signal group chat.
Waltz’s profile displayed his photo and a list of 328 contacts until WIRED contacted him for comment. Soon after, the list was made private. Wiles followed suit, changing her privacy settings after reporters reached out to the White House. Security experts say such exposure poses significant counterintelligence risks.
“The first thing you think of is the counterintelligence issue, right? And the security vulnerabilities. It kind of boggles the mind, in a way,” said Michael Ard, a former intelligence analyst. “It would be really easy for somebody to spoof a contact, and that is something the security industry has already been issuing notices on.”
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The report underscores growing alarm about what WIRED calls “a broader pattern of what national security experts describe as reckless behavior by some of the most powerful people in the US government.”
Though no direct evidence of a breach has been reported, the incident adds fuel to the controversy surrounding Waltz, who recently accepted “full responsibility” for the Signal leak. Critics argue the Venmo exposure is another example of poor digital hygiene at the highest levels of national security.
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