US President Donald Trump's Android phone raises hacking concerns among Democrats

US President Donald Trump's Android phone has raised concerns among Democrats as several reports have emerged stating that the device is an easy target for hackers.

Senators Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Tom Carper of Delaware have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis expressing grave concern over Trump's use of his personal smartphone on 9 February. They quoted several media reports stating that Trump was using a Samsung Galaxy S3 phone, a five-year-old model which experts have warned could be a great threat to national security.

"We write today regarding the security concerns stemming from President Donald Trump's reported use of his personal, unofficial, smartphone....While it is important for the President to have the ability to communicate electronically, it is equally important that he does so in a manner that is secure and that ensures the preservation of presidential records," the letter sent to Mattis read.

It goes on to highlight how malware and malicious software can be used by hackers to access sensitive data on the President's phone.

"The national security risks of compromising a smartphone used by a senior government official, such as the President of the United States, are considerable, " the letter stated.

Earlier, it was reported that the Secret Service had issued Trump a secure phone during his inauguration, but despite that the president continues to use his personal Android phone especially for tweeting.

IBTimes UKhad earlier reported how Trump's phone rumoured to be the Galaxy S3 is far from secure. Later, Google Project Zero hackers showed how easy it is to bypass Samsung's Knox software which the US Department of Defense has approved as secure for sensitive usage.

The scrutiny over Trump's use of an unsecured phone comes after the US elections were marred by hacking attempts including those on personal emails of Democratic political figures and organisations.