• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Members of the Carabinieri police force stand near St. Peter's Square at the Vatican May 7, 2025, the first day of the conclave to elect a new pope. A U.S. security expert told OSV News that the Vatican, with its security measures for the conclave, "sets a gold standard" for organizations. (OSV News photo/Marko Djurica, Reuters)

Vatican security for conclave ‘sets a gold standard’ for organizations, says expert

May 7, 2025
By Gina Christian
OSV News
Filed Under: 2025 Conclave, Feature, News, Vatican, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

The Vatican’s approach to security protocols for the papal conclave “sets a gold standard for organizations handling sensitive decisions,” security expert and author Theresa Payton told OSV News.

The cardinal electors entered the Sistine Chapel for the conclave May 7, and remain in seclusion throughout the papal election.

Ensuring that ancient process remains free of external influence and leaks (as well as safe from potential attacks) is even more challenging in a hyperconnected world — but the Vatican’s approach “offers a blueprint for protecting privacy,” said Payton, the first female chief information officer for the White House under President George W. Bush.

A member of the Carabinieri police force stands near St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 7, 2025, the first day of the conclave to elect a new pope. A U.S. security expert told OSV News that the Vatican, with its security measures for the conclave, “sets a gold standard” for organizations. (OSV News photo/Marko Djurica, Reuters)

She noted the Vatican has taken “extraordinary measures” that combine several key technological, legal and physical precautions.

Along with sequestering the cardinal electors and support staff — all under oath, upon pain of excommunication — in the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican guesthouse, Vatican security officials are “doing something I have long told organizations to do — no cellphones,” said Payton, CEO and chief adviser of the North Carolina-based cybersecurity security firm Fortalice. “We followed this practice often at the White House and we deploy this practice at my firm and also in my personal life.”

Cardinals and staff will surrender their devices for safekeeping during the conclave proceedings, with mobile phone signals deactivated in the Vatican starting at 3 p.m. local time May 7.

Officials have said that deactivation will not impact cellphone service in St. Peter’s Square, but “checkpoints, metal detectors and anti-drone systems” will be in place there, “balancing public access with heightened protection,” said Payton.

The Vatican will also deploy military-grade jammers — which interfere with and overwhelm signals — around the Sistine Chapel.

Those jammers will “prevent electronic surveillance or communication, ensuring no external interference,” said Payton.

And those measures are being undertaken for good reason. Consumer privacy advocate Rob Shavell, founder of DeleteMe, has described the location data feature of mobile phones as a “skeleton key” to the user’s personal life — and the door remains unlocked even if the user turns off the feature.

Mobile phone user behavior also poses a security threat. In 2022, Americans spent an average of four and a half hours per day on their phones, and the habits of texting, emailing, surfing the internet and posting social media updates have become well ingrained in millions — making confidentiality and silence difficult to maintain.

A recent military data leak by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — who disclosed plans for a U.S. bombing attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen via Signal chat groups with both administration officials and personal contacts — dramatically highlighted such risks.

Payton said the Vatican is “taking bold steps to ensure the conclave’s confidentiality,” and underscoring a “dedication to preserving the sanctity of a process that has chosen Catholic leaders for centuries.”

“They are following my security motto: Verify and never trust,” she said. “‘No trust’ of technology of any kind ensures the highest levels of discretion, security, privacy and confidentiality.”

Read More 2025 Conclave

Broglio: As successor of Peter, pope confirms us ‘in faith,’ calls us ‘back to the Gospel’

Catholic school students ‘elect’ pope in their own ‘conclave’

Baltimore-area Catholics pray for new pope, express excitement for his leadership

Trump, U.S political leaders congratulate Pope Leo XIV: ‘A great honor for our country’

Pope Leo XIV: Peacemaker and openness in an historic name

Who was Pope Leo XIII, the father of social doctrine?

Copyright © 2025 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Gina Christian

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

  • Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

  • Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

| Latest Local News |

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith

Sister Rose Sylvia Lindner, S.S.N.D., dies at 91

Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

| Latest World News |

Catholic leaders ICE

Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change

RUSSIAN-ORTHODOX-meeting

Pope Leo meets with top Russian Orthodox cleric amid war, strained relations

new york city shooting

‘Never get used to violence,’ says NY cardinal after mass shooting in building near St. Patrick’s

Massacre ‘of faithful in the house of God’ in Congolese Catholic church leaves 43 dead

Pope welcomes young people to Rome for jubilee, thanks media for promoting truth

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Report on alleged conditions at ICE’s Florida detention sites prompts Catholic leaders’ call for change
  • Pope Leo meets with top Russian Orthodox cleric amid war, strained relations
  • ‘Never get used to violence,’ says NY cardinal after mass shooting in building near St. Patrick’s
  • Men’s religious leaders confront change with fraternity and faith
  • Sister Rose Sylvia Lindner, S.S.N.D., dies at 91
  • Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’
  • Massacre ‘of faithful in the house of God’ in Congolese Catholic church leaves 43 dead
  • Pope welcomes young people to Rome for jubilee, thanks media for promoting truth
  • Cardinal Tomasi: Religious communities can play key roles in nuclear disarmament

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en