Republican Rep. Don Bacon says Russians hacked his Signal app
rep. Don Bacon says Russian operatives compromised his Signal account, and federal investigators-including the FBI and House cybersecurity officials-are now looking into the breach. Bacon, a prominent Republican backer of aid to Ukraine, says attackers gained access roughly four to five months ago by posing as someone he knew, consistent with spear phishing. He believes no classified information was exposed because he does not use Signal to store or transmit sensitive government material.
Bacon first revealed the hack during a cybersecurity conference in Washington,later telling Politico that the technique relied on leveraging his personal connections. The case aligns with broader federal warnings that Russian-backed groups have targeted current and former U.S. officials through Signal and other commercial messaging apps. Bacon also notes he has avoided using his phone for sensitive communications due to prior targeting, including a 2023 breach of officials’ Microsoft cloud email accounts linked to China.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said Russian operatives compromised his account on the encrypted messaging app Signal, adding that federal investigators are now examining the breach.
Bacon, one of Congress‘s most vocal Republican supporters of aid to Ukraine, told Politico hackers linked to the Russian government gained access to his Signal account roughly four to five months ago. He said both the FBI and House cybersecurity officials are investigating the incident.
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The Nebraska Republican said he does not believe any classified information was exposed because he does not use Signal to store or transmit sensitive government material.
Bacon first disclosed the breach during a cybersecurity conference in Washington on Wednesday, saying he had “just learned Russia hacked my Signal.” He later told Politico the attackers appeared to have posed as a trusted acquaintance to gain access to his account, a tactic consistent with spear phishing.
“It’s because they’re smart enough to know who my friends are,” Bacon said, adding that the FBI and House cybersecurity specialists remain engaged in the investigation.
The disclosure comes as federal cybersecurity agencies have warned of Russian-backed campaigns targeting current and former U.S. officials through Signal and other commercial messaging platforms.
“People think Signal’s secure — it’s not,” Bacon said.
The congressman noted that he has long avoided using his phone for sensitive communications because he has previously been targeted by foreign hackers. In 2023, Chinese state-linked hackers breached the email accounts of several U.S. officials, including Bacon, through vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s cloud email systems.
“I figure somebody’s always monitoring my phone,” Bacon said. “This has been my reality since about 2006.”
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Bacon has repeatedly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and advocated continued U.S. support for Ukraine. He recently broke ranks with Republicans and joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers voting to send $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia.
“Russia invading Ukraine, bombing cities every night,” Bacon said recently. “America should be unashamedly on the right side — the side of democracy, the side of Ukraine, a country that wants to align with us. Russia hates us, Putin hates the United States, hates what we stand for. I don’t know why President Trump can’t see that.”
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