I can't speak for GP, but certainly this adminstration has used consumer Android devices for a little more than tweeting: https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/13/14597700/donald-trump-pho...

And previous administrations had blackberries.

I don’t think it’s possible to get high level pols to forgo their devices and follow good security hygiene. It’s in their nature to be communicative and available.

It’s my understanding that Obama had a specially locked down device, not just the off the shelf blackberry/iPhone.

That was after a while. From my recollection, the locked down blackberry was a compromise after he insisted on his prior insecure blackberry.

One would hope for a little continuity in the Presidential Office's security department. Why would they reset their security at the beginning of each administration, only to have to learn the same lessons the hard way again?

As I understand it he wasn't doing NATSEC-relevant work from the phone, but on Android spyware can turn on the microphone and camera remotely. During the Cold War our adversaries would've given anything to slip a bug into the Oval Office; now every hacker group who can pwn an Android phone has one.

> During the Cold War our adversaries would've given anything to slip a bug into the Oval Office

See

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device)

>but on Android spyware can turn on the microphone and camera remotely.

Seems like an unsubstantiated claim. Also, Android is a broad umbrella term where security varies widely across implementations and devices. Do you have any concrete information about reference Android devices (i.e., Pixels)

He was using a Galaxy S3 long past the time it stopped receiving security patches.

https://www.androidcentral.com/which-android-phone-does-dona...

>Seems like an unsubstantiated claim

It absolutely isn't. Evidence supporting his claim are easily found online, both in leaked documents as well as from other first and second hand sources

Uh, he is doing pretty reckless diplomacy on twitter, does that count as natural security work?

I'd be surprised if anyone in this thread has any way of knowing whether that's the case.

There might be, but they would never comment.