An editor at The Atlantic was accidentally added to a high-level Signal group chat where Trump administration officials were planning military strikes in Yemen.
Yes, you read that right. A journalist, in a chat with top government officials, while they were actively discussing where and when to launch missiles.
It’s an appalling breach of national security. It’s also a teachable moment for employers.
If the highest of federal officials can accidentally include a reporter in a thread outlining imminent military action, your company’s employees can accidentally include the wrong person in a message about a client, a deal, a product launch, or a sensitive HR issue.
- Audit your internal communication tools. Who has access to what, and why?
- Train employees to think before they type. Not everything needs to be shared via chat, and definitely not in group messages with unclear boundaries.
- Define acceptable platforms. Personal WhatsApp groups aren’t secure. Neither are random Slack DMs or rogue Teams channels.
- Limit use of informal tools for formal business. If it needs to be preserved, secured, or privileged, it shouldn’t live in a disappearing message or outside of your network.
And if you don’t already have a digital communication policy, here are a few essentials:
- Specify approved platforms for internal and external comms.
- Define levels of confidentiality and how/where each type of info can be shared.
- Address personal device usage (BYOD) and security requirements.
- Outline consequences for noncompliance.
- Make it real. Don’t just write the policy—train on it, talk about it, and revisit it regularly.
Because in today’s digital world, one accidental message could be all it takes to destroy trade secret protections, create legal liability, or land your company on the front page.
