If doxxed by Donald Trump, destroy your cell phone on video

Business tycoon and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took time away this week from dealing with the major credit card breach at his chain of luxury hotels to tell the world the cell phone number of one of his political opponents.

Fellow candidate Senator Lindsey Graham had apparently upset The Donald by calling him a “jackass”, following Trump’s criticism of Senator John McCain, who Trump claims is not a war hero despite serving more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Donald TrumpCall Donald Trump a jackass? There will be hell toupee. And so Trump told supporters Lindsey Graham’s phone number at a rally.

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(Keeping up with this? It’s almost as convoluted as the Taylor Swift vs Katy Perry feud.)

I’m not sure that being called a “jackass” is a sufficient justification for a prospective presidential candidate to encourage millions of supporters to swamp his opponent’s cell phone with nuisance calls. But hey, I’m not American – and I don’t know how the political system works over there.

But Lindsay Graham, the owner of that cell phone number, clearly recognises that action needs to be taken to resolve the issue.

Presumably he has changed his mobile phone number. But he’s also made a video, where he demonstrates in slow motion how to destroy a phone in a variety of ways – all accompanied by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

How to Destroy Your Cell Phone With Sen. Lindsey Graham

Classy.


Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.

10 comments on “If doxxed by Donald Trump, destroy your cell phone on video”

  1. Major Tom

    Well, Lindsey is a politician,

    His constituents should be able to reach him and have his phone.

    If he 'represents himself' his phone should be private.

    As TheDonald is still not a representative he may elect to reveal his or not.

    Seems to me TheDonald made a point. Not tactful or well considered, but a point none the less.

    1. Graham CluleyGraham Cluley · in reply to Major Tom

      Yes, I would expect Lindsey Graham to give the public a means to contact him. I imagine he should be allowed to choose how that contact takes place, and don't know if he chose to share his mobile number with the masses.

  2. Jason

    I fail to see the connection to security or IT in this post. And 'toupee' puns? Waaaaay off topic for you and borderline spam. This story has plenty of pickup elsewhere. I trust you for security information not pop culture. Please stay on topic.

    1. Graham CluleyGraham Cluley · in reply to Jason

      Thanks for the feedback Jason. You're right, I do try to keep things on-topic even if I very occasionally spin off into subjects that I think may be of interest.

      In this case I should perhaps have added a paragraph discussing the regularity with which hacktivists dox individuals, sharing personal information that perhaps the victims wouldn't appreciate.

      Regarding the toupee pun – I had one fellow describe it as "pun of the day" on Twitter, so I guess you can't please everyone all of the time.

      1. Graham CluleyGraham Cluley · in reply to Graham Cluley

        It has been pointed out to me that I made another joke about Trump's tonsorial triumph, in this 2013 report on Naked Security about his Twitter account being hacked.

        https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/02/22/donald-trump-twitter-hacked/

        See if you can spot it.

    2. Coyote · in reply to Jason

      At the risk of trumping (in an indirect way, perhaps) you here (not that I really care; in one of those moods, I guess):

      Puns are not off topic and they aren't spam regardless of what the post is. How can word play be off topic? It is ironic, even, that you would respond to someone and claim he is spamming, on his on website. Here's a solution if you feel puns are too much for you: don't read the website or ignore the puns. Problem solved. But I don't think that is the issue here. I know many dislike puns regardless if they admit to why (or even recognise why)[1].

      But puns involve wit, wit is associated with humour, and humour is always welcome. Isn't it?

      Incidentally, as for OT post, I have this to say: this isn't the first time this claim has been made but it doesn't make it any more true; okay, fine, it has the political taint, but that is unfortunately expected because politicians run their mouth about everything.

      tl;dr:
      Here's the thing: how can you expect anyone to always be serious ? What a boring life that would be. So of course he has lighter things.

      [1] And yes, I’m implying something. I’ll let you figure it out if you feel you need to.

  3. Joe B

    I just started receiving your e-mails and find them very informative. As for the above responder whining about a little levity, maybe he's a little clue-less. I like getting my news from Jon Stewart so I appreciate the presenters insights about what they're reporting.

  4. Nigel

    "But hey, I’m not American – and I don’t know how the political system works over there."

    It's actually pretty simple. Here’s a primer:

    1. Members of any given party savage each other until one of them becomes the favorite, and then they all act as though they were great pals all along, and unite behind Their Candidate.
    2. Then the parties square off against each other in periodic popularity contests called elections, in which the winners are chosen by the voters, about whom Winston Churchill once said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
    3. The winners takes their place in the offices of state, where—despite their best intentions (if they had any)—they become corrupted by a system that is the problem masquerading as the solution.

    In other words, it works pretty much the same as it does everywhere else they have political “democracy”. Lord Acton’s observation holds universally: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
    ________________

    For the record, Graham, I don’t see your post as off-topic at all. As a matter of fact, it emphasizes the point that one’s contact information (personal phone number, email address, etc.) is property, and should not be made “public information” without the owner’s permission. The governing moral principle is the Reverse Golden Rule: Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.

    Apparently, The Donald doesn’t subscribe to that principle. Just what we need…another moral reprobate with political power…and one who doesn’t value other people’s privacy and security into the bargain.

  5. Coyote

    "But hey, I'm not American – and I don't know how the political system works over there."

    Politics is the same anywhere. It is a toxic waste pool of the worst kind of people (which I am afraid says a lot) imaginable. Right?

    As for this issue, I thought of digging up Trump's contact information but I decided he isn't worth my time; indeed his arrogance knows no bounds and he is an attention-seeking toerag (all of which has been shown in the short spam of time since his bid but also long before it). I remember when he was whining about his golf course off the coast of Scotland, and how he didn't want a a wind farm in the sea, as if he has the right to say what is there. Then, to make it worse, when he claims they don't work (sea is a good place, even as is the desert, despite what the ignorant claim) and they ask him for the evidence (i.e. they actually are giving him a chance). What does he respond with but 'I AM the evidence' (which completely ruins his chance there). He doesn't care about anyone but himself (see above including the story here), he claims that he is far smarter than everyone else, but that they shouldn't blame themselves, either. Put downs (especially like that) are the sign of weakness (and for politicians that is also saying something) and more so below average intelligence.

  6. Jim

    Or maybe he could just have replaced the SIM card instead of destroying 5 phones …
    Couldn't help noticing when he tried to blend it, the blender jug shattered!

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