The commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) has said that information in agency databases has not been accessed or leaked after a whistleblower complaint last month alleged security breaches by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials.
A Sept. 16 letter from Frank Bisignano, commissioner of SSA, to Congress refuted claims made by Chuck Borges, former chief data officer (CDO) at SSA. Borges alleged systemic data security violations, unlimited access to highly sensitive environments, and potential violations of SSA security protocols and federal privacy laws.
Those claims, laid out in a letter to Congress by the Government Accountability Project representing Borges, said that a live copy was made of Americans’ social security data and information associated with the Numerical Identification System (NUMIDENT) within a cloud environment that “circumvents oversight” and “apparently lacks any security oversight from SSA.”
“Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost,” officials warned.
Bisignano denied any missteps in protocol or illegal actions taken by SSA or DOGE officials, instead stating that the agency took appropriate measures to address Borges’ complaints and found no wrongdoing.
“I can confirm, based on the agency’s...
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