The US government faces thousands of cyberattacks a year. So why won’t Trump protect his data?

Impact

Hacking, spying and data collection are serious concerns for everyday Americans. Now imagine what high-profile figures have to do to keep themselves safe? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses tape to block his laptop’s built-in camera, and former President Barack Obama skipped the popular iPhone for a more secure (and archaic) BlackBerry during his presidency. Obama’s other phone also couldn’t take photos or text.

But security doesn’t seem to matter as much for President Donald Trump, who has allegedly neglected to follow advice from aides to switch his cell phone every month.

The president uses two phones: one for Twitter and one for calls (basically a burner phone). Apparently, Trump hasn’t had his Twitter phone checked in at least four months, according to anonymous administration officials cited in Politico, and it’s unclear how often the president switches out the phone he uses to make calls.

This is serious, and Trump’s phone use is becoming an increasing concern for lawmakers. Last month, two Democratic congressional members sent a signed letter to the White House inquiring for further information on Trump’s unsecured cell phone use. And if anything, the 2016 presidential race is proof the Trump administration should take cybersecurity seriously — Trump himself repeatedly accused Hillary Clinton of allowing classified information to be vulnerable on her email server.

In 2015 alone, the U.S. government faced more than 77,000 cyberattacks, including breaches and data theft. Already, personal cellphones were recently barred from the White House’s West Wing after chief of staff John Kelly’s cell phone was compromised. But Trump allegedly continues to ignore his aides’ advice.

Why? The answer is simple: Technically, Trump switches his Twitter phone out at his own discretion. Though stolen data from the U.S. president could threaten far more than the White House, it’s not something Trump appears to be concerned with for now.