Data Breach Allegations Surface Against Former DOGE Employee
A recent whistleblower complaint, detailed in a report, alleges that a former employee of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) illicitly copied sensitive personal data from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and stored it on a portable storage device. This incident is the latest in a series of concerns raised regarding DOGE's involvement with the SSA.
Details of the Allegations
According to the report, a former DOGE software engineer disclosed to former colleagues at a new company that they possessed two highly restricted databases containing personal information of U.S. citizens. The engineer reportedly intended to leverage this data in their new role. The Inspector General of the Social Security Administration is said to be actively investigating this whistleblower complaint.
Scope of the Stolen Data
The individual in question, whose identity has not been revealed by the reporting outlet, was employed by the SSA last year before transitioning to a government contractor position. It is alleged that at their new workplace, they revealed possessing two databases known as "Numident" and the "Master Death File." These databases are reported to potentially contain records for over 500 million individuals, both living and deceased Americans. The information could include Social Security numbers, birth dates and places, citizenship details, racial and ethnic information, and parents' names.
Furthermore, the former employee reportedly claimed to have previously held unrestricted, "God-level" access to the SSA's internal systems.
Pattern of Security Concerns
This alleged data theft is not an isolated incident. Previously, in January, two DOGE members faced accusations of accessing and sharing Social Security numbers that were outside their authorized access. This was reportedly part of an effort to assist an advocacy group aiming to influence election outcomes in specific states. Another whistleblower within the SSA last year raised alarms about DOGE members jeopardizing American data by uploading millions of Social Security records to an unsecured cloud server.
Adding to the concerns, a judge had previously issued an order blocking DOGE from accessing SSA systems, characterizing the agency's actions as an improper "fishing expedition" for fraud.
DOGE's Presence at the SSA
A number of DOGE members were reportedly placed within the Social Security Administration following a specific administration change. Reports indicate that at least a dozen DOGE employees, primarily in technical and engineering roles, worked at the agency. However, their specific duties and activities were not always clearly communicated to other SSA staff.
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