WASHINGTON — With ongoing discussions of foreign hacking and wiretapping come new concerns over an unusually high amount of suspicious cellphone activity in the nation’s capital.

A telecom security company, ESD America, which has been hired by the U.S. government, says the suspicious activity likely indicates a foreign nation is monitoring the smartphones of American officials.

The unspecified activity was noticed around cellphone towers in parts of the capital, including near the White House.

A source at the company said the activity suggests someone — most likely a foreign nation — is monitoring specific individuals or their devices.

The Department of Homeland Security confirms the company was hired in January as part of a 90-day pilot program, but did not address details of the suspicious activity, or who might be behind it.

The issues were first reported in the Washington Free Beacon and confirmed by CBS News.