**Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff Did Not Use Signal While in Russia, White House Says**

In a statement that has raised eyebrows, the White House has confirmed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff did not use Signal on his personal phone while in Russia. The revelation comes as fears grow over Moscow's repeated hacking of the encrypted app.

Witkoff, who traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was reportedly part of a sensitive group chat discussion about a classified strike against the Houthi rebels that accidentally leaked to a journalist. The incident has sparked concerns over the security of Signal, an open-source messaging app that has been flagged for possible vulnerabilities by the National Security Agency (NSA).

According to Witkoff, he did not have access to his personal phone while in Russia and joined the "Houthi PC small group" only after he left Moscow. He claimed to have used a secure phone provided by the government for special circumstances during his trip. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, backed Witkoff's claims, stating that the phone provided by the US government was the only one he had in his possession while in Moscow.

However, the incident has raised questions over whether Witkoff's use of a secure phone may have been sufficient to protect sensitive information. The NSA has warned about the risks of using Signal, specifically citing Russian hacking groups that actively target the app. In 2023, the Pentagon issued a department-wide memo warning staff to avoid using Signal for any nonpublic official information.

The situation is further complicated by reports that Russian state-linked hacking groups had managed to sneak into the Signal accounts of Ukrainian military staffers to acquire sensitive information. The NSA's warning came as Google's cybersecurity arm found that these groups had gained access to the staff members' accounts, which were then used to send altered "group invite" links to breach more accounts.

Signal maintains that its app is secure from hacking, but previous breaches have been conducted through means of phishing and device-linking. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe testified on Tuesday that no classified materials were shared in the Signal chat that was shared with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.

However, Goldberg later shared screenshots that showed details about the timing and method for airstrikes in Yemen were posted to the group. National security adviser Mike Waltz has since accepted "full responsibility" for the incident, but he has yet to explain how Goldberg ended up in the group chat with top US officials.

As fears grow over Moscow's repeated hacking of Signal, it remains to be seen whether Witkoff's actions were sufficient to protect sensitive information. The incident highlights the need for caution and vigilance when using encrypted messaging apps like Signal.