Patio Situation Room Raises Security Questions

Patio Situation Room Raises Security Questions

  • Feb 14, 2017
Over the weekend, North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile, its first challenge to international rules since Donald Trump was sworn in almost a month ago.

The launch was obviously unexpected as the breaking news came to the president as he sit down to dinner at the Mar-a-Lago with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and several other people.

Trump sat next to Abe as he took the call on a mobile phone at his less-than-private table in the middle of the Mar-a-Lago dining room.

Several diners in President Trump’s vicinity at the time of the breaking news were not national security or government members, but just happened to be dining on the same patio Saturday evening as the President.

Many worried that those in the area were able to see and hear classified information as the President and his national security advisers huddled around the table to discuss policy.

The episode was captured by a diner and posted to a Facebook page. In the post, Richard DeAgazio said, “HOLY MOLY! It was fascinating to watch the flurry of activity at dinner when the news came that North Korea had launched a missile in the direction of Japan. The Prime Minister Abe of Japan huddles with his staff and the president is on the phone with Washington DC. The two world leaders then conferred and then went into another room for [sic] hastily arranged press conference. Wow… the center of the action!”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted, “There’s no excuse for letting an international crisis play out in front of a bunch of country club members like dinner theater.” Presidents usually travel with secure communications equipment, even when they are on vacation. A Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, known as a SCIFF, also comes along. The tent-like structure can fit inside a hotel room and allows a president to conduct sensitive phone calls without the risk of being detected by recording devices.

Former President Barack Obama’s staff photographer, Pete Souza, uploaded a photo to his Instagram to show how Obama handled conversations laced with sensitive material while he was traveling.

 


“When we were on the road, national security discussions and head of state phone calls were conducted in a private, secure location set up onsite,” Souza said in the caption of the photo. “Everyone had to leave their Blackberry outside the area. In this photo, which was taken in March 2011 and subsequently released, the President holds a discussion in El Salvador following a conference call with his full national security team.”

On Monday, White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, told reporters that President Trump had utilized the security measures brought with him to ensure secure communication.

"The President was briefed in a SCIFF prior to dinner," Spicer said. "They were reviewing the logistics for the press conference ... President was subsequently briefed in a classified setting.”

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.