DOGE is working to build a massive database of Americans' personal information, but security concerns remain
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to make the US government more efficient, is working across agencies to consolidate data that was previously kept separate, making it easier to access and analyze. This work has raised security concerns in some quarters, and some have questioned whether necessary procedures are being followed.
Why Elon Musk's DOGE is amassing sensitive government data - The Washington Post
President Trump has pointed out that information silos, where data is managed separately by multiple organizations, are a problem, and signed an executive order to promote data sharing between organizations as he seeks to streamline operations and reduce expenses. This executive order is expected to make it easier to detect government overpayments and fraud.
DOGE is also working to consolidate data in this spirit. For example, it has directed the Social Security Administration to consolidate personal information related to social security to make it easier to access and analyze, it has directed the FBI to consolidate its four separate human resources data centers, and it has instructed Citizenship and Immigration Services officials to create a system for sharing data on applicants for visa programs for wealthy immigrants.
While some hope that data integration will lead to future efficiencies, others are wary of what they see as heavy-handed reforms, and have also criticized DOGE for not adhering to basic security protocols when integrating data.
For example, the websites related to DOGE's visa program were not built over a protected virtual private network (VPN) as they should have been.
In addition, while data sharing within the federal government normally requires multiple steps, DOGE is taking things in one step, which could give unnecessarily strong powers to certain individuals and make it difficult to keep track of who has access to what information.
It has also been pointed out that, while it is desirable for computers used by government employees to be subject to monitoring by technicians, DOGE employees wanted special treatment and so asked to be provided with computers that were not monitored.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has specifically singled out the Social Security Administration effort, urging the inspector general's office to immediately investigate whistleblower concerns about how the data was handled.
Jake Williams, a former white hat hacker for the National Security Agency, said consolidating data makes it more attractive to hackers and easier to attack, increasing the risk of nation-state-level attacks.
The White House has responded to these concerns, saying DOGE's tools and processes are guarded by some of the best cybersecurity experts in the US, and that its staff actions are fully in accordance with the law, in a statement issued through a spokesperson.
Regarding the data sharing, Acting Social Security Administrator Leland Dudek said, 'We have shared data with other government agencies in the past, and sharing data with DOGE is within common sense.'
Related Posts:
in Security, Posted by log1p_kr