Back in the 70s when I had some work in a secure world environment, one went to a secure facility to read or converse with regard to items marked above a certain level. The security was high, one was vetted before entering and upon departure. There were slip-ups such as the classic one of the Falcon and the Snowman in a secure facility in California, but for the most part it worked.
Now this current Signal fiasco is the result of a bunch of tyros pretending to be smart. "Trust no one" is the first rule of secure intel. Using your mobile phone is the equivalent to posting your info on a billboard on I95!
Clearly the folks involved in the "secure" conversation should be reprimanded at the very least. Assuming all was secure reading it in a public environment is itself a risk. I recall one a Navy Captain left a set of nuclear plans at a bar in Albuquerque. Not a career builder. However the bartender was a retired USAF Master Sergent. He knew what it was and he had a duty as an American not to have this slip into the wrong hands. Thus the plans were saved. A true patriot when they see something amiss does not for personal aggrandizement spread the knowledge about.
A security officer should vet all such communications before they occur. Perhaps it is just a generational issue. Perhaps it is maturity.
Also, it must be noted that anyone who finds themselves inadvertently in a secure communications should inform the communicators and not just spread the results. Ethical behavior is essential, but I guess after all it is just the Press.
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