Experts Warn Musk’s DOGE Poses Unprecedented Threat to Federal IT Security

Elon Musk’s efforts to access federal government data and information systems have raised alarm among IT experts, who warn of a crisis of unprecedented scale.

The Athlantic (TA) reports that according to four federal IT professionals, Musk’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has sought entry into various critical systems, despite its employees lacking experience with such complex infrastructures.

“This is the largest data breach and the largest IT security breach in our country’s history—at least that’s publicly known,” one contractor with experience in classified government IT security stated, as reported by TA.

Experts fear that once DOGE gains access to these systems, its members could extract sensitive data, modify fundamental operations, or inadvertently cause system failures.

TA reports that DOGE representatives have obtained or requested access to systems at the Treasury Department, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

TA says that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also been targeted. The extent of DOGE’s access remains unclear, but experts caution that even read-only access could allow individuals to gather and transfer sensitive data.

Trump has defended Musk’s involvement, stating, “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval. And we will give him the approval where appropriate. Where it’s not appropriate, we won’t.” However, the lack of oversight over DOGE’s activities has left government IT professionals deeply concerned, noted TA.

Federal systems are highly intricate, with strict access controls in place to protect sensitive information. For example, the FAA’s En Route Automation Modernization program contains nearly 2 million lines of code, compared to an average iPhone app’s 50,000, noted TA.

Treasury databases process trillions of dollars annually, and OPM’s personnel databases contain sensitive records on government employees.

One contractor emphasized the risks: “They could change or manipulate Treasury data directly in the database with no way for people to audit or capture it. We’d have very little way to know it even happened,” as reported by TA

Adding to concerns, CNN reported that a 23-year-old former SpaceX intern was granted access to the Department of Energy’s IT systems without a background check. “That these guys, who may not even have clearances, are just pulling up and plugging in their own servers is madness,” one source said.

Experts warn that any tampering with FAA systems could jeopardize air travel safety. An FAA employee with nearly a decade of experience stated, “Going into these systems without an in-depth understanding of how they work… is a recipe for disaster that will result in death and economic harm to our nation,” reports TA

Despite Musk’s claims that DOGE will “make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system,” IT professionals remain skeptical, says TA.

Further raising alarm, Bloomberg revealed that 19-year-old DOGE staffer Edward Coristine, previously an intern at the cybersecurity firm Path Network, was fired in 2022 for leaking company secrets to a competitor. Internal messages at the time stated, “Edward has been terminated for leaking internal information to the competitors, […] This is unacceptable.”

Despite his dismissal, Coristine later boasted on Discord that he retained access to Path Network’s systems, though he claimed he never exploited it. His reckless past, coupled with his current involvement in highly classified government IT infrastructure, has heightened concerns about DOGE’s security practices.

Meanwhile, Gizmondo reports that DOGE’s hiring process has come under scrutiny. Musk has signaled his intention to rehire Marko Elez, a former DOGE worker linked to an X account that posted racist content.

Government infrastructure, while sometimes outdated, is designed for reliability. Attempting to modernize such systems without expertise could lead to catastrophic failures.

The full extent of DOGE’s activities remains uncertain, but IT experts agree: the risks are severe, and the consequences could be irreversible.