DOGE Employee Breaches Treasury Regulations by Sending Unsecured Personal Data via Email
In a significant cybersecurity incident, a staff member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been accused of breaching Treasury policies by sending an email containing unencrypted personal information. This alarming revelation comes from a federal lawsuit and highlights the ongoing challenges in safeguarding sensitive data within government agencies.
Details of the Security Breach
According to testimony from David Ambrose, the chief security and privacy officer at the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Services, a serious lapse occurred when Marko Elez, a DOGE staffer at the U.S. Treasury, sent an email with a spreadsheet containing personally identifiable information (PII) to two officials from the Trump administration. This incident took place shortly before Elez’s resignation in early February, which was preceded by the emergence of controversial racist social media posts linked to him.
Forensic Analysis Reveals Security Lapses
The details surrounding the security breach were disclosed in a court filing on Friday. Ambrose explained that a forensic examination of Elez’s department-issued laptop was conducted after his resignation, which included scrutinizing his Treasury email account. The findings confirmed that sensitive data was shared without proper encryption or approval.
- Data Shared: The court filing did not specify the exact data, but it noted that the personal information included names (of individuals or entities), transaction types, and monetary amounts.
- Policy Violations: Ambrose indicated that Elez’s actions were in direct violation of department policies regarding data protection.
Legal Implications and Ongoing Lawsuits
The security lapse has raised concerns among a coalition of U.S. attorneys general, who are currently involved in a lawsuit aimed at preventing the Trump administration’s DOGE team from accessing sensitive financial information belonging to millions of Americans. This information is managed by the Treasury unit where Elez was stationed.
Bloomberg was the first to report on this troubling court filing. Furthermore, it was revealed that Elez was rehired on February 18 and is now employed at the Social Security Administration, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Response from Attorneys General
In light of the court filing, the coalition of U.S. attorneys general expressed that Ambrose’s declarations “do nothing to allay any of the concerns” regarding the rushed and chaotic onboarding process of the Treasury DOGE Team.
Future Considerations
In a related matter, a federal court is considering a request to block DOGE from accessing systems at the Social Security Administration that store sensitive information on American citizens.
As of now, Elez has not responded to inquiries from TechCrunch regarding this incident.
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