Billions of dollars have been spent bolstering national security since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but government facilities are still vulnerable to espionage and leaks, according to security experts.

The intelligence community (IC) implemented standards in 2010 for sensitive government facilities, noting that "portable electronic devices… can enable hostile attacks" that threaten classified information in government facilities. However, these sensitive facilities are often not equipped with the proper tools to monitor unauthorized devices, security experts told the Daily Caller.

Retired Senior CIA Executive Rodney Alto spent 35 years in the agency and told the Caller there are a "wide array of actors" trying to obtain sensitive information about national security. These actors include individuals who may use their cell phones or other electronic devices to gather, transmit, or lose classified information.

These occurrences are becoming far more common due to technological advancements, and officials know it's a problem that needs to be addressed. Alto told the Caller that security experts warn that cellphones, smartwatches, hearing aids and Wi-Fi-connected printers are also vulnerable to compromise.

Security experts warn that these devices can become tools for data exfiltration if they are not properly secured against unauthorized wireless signals. A 2023 DOD memorandum issued by then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed all SCIF and SAPF users to certify compliance with policies banning personal electronic devices.

Installing and monitoring electronic device detection systems in every SCIF and SAPF requires funding, Alto noted. "I think it's a funding issue," he said. "We, clearly as a government, need to invest funding to better protect our national security spaces or locations where sensitive conversations are occurring."

"We need to continue to educate our leadership on the sensitivities revolving around unauthorized electronic devices in sensitive locations and the capacity they have to exploit those environments to acquire and transmit unauthorized data to unauthorized users," Alto said.

Individuals who break the law must be held accountable. Michael Charles Schena, a State Department employee, allegedly used his cell phone to take photos of multiple documents labeled "SECRET" on his computer and brought his phone home, according to a press release by the Department of Justice.

His phone was seized by authorities, the DOJ said. Schena was allegedly providing information to people he met online a few years earlier in exchange for payments. These occurrences are becoming far more common due to technological advancements, and officials know it's a problem that needs to be addressed.

Security experts warn that these types of incidents can happen anywhere, including public places where sensitive information may be shared or accessed without proper security measures. It's a problem that requires attention and action from lawmakers and the government.