SSA Officer Steps Down over Allegations from a Whistleblower Regarding the DOGE Database Issue
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has been embroiled in controversy following the resignation of its Chief Data Officer, Charles Borges, on August 29. Borges' departure was due to his concerns about the agency's data security practices and what he perceived as a hostile work environment.
Borges filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that staff from the Department of Government Efficiency had compromised Americans' personal information by using a vulnerable cloud server. The copied information included sensitive details such as names, phone numbers, addresses, place and date of birth, parents' names, and Social Security numbers of Social Security card applicants. The complaint also suggested that the copied information may have been involved in unauthorized data exchange with other agencies.
Despite repeated requests for attention to his concerns, Borges' inquiries were either rebuffed or ignored by agency leadership. Some employees were even instructed not to respond to his queries.
In his whistleblower complaint, Borges warned that bad actors gaining access to the cloud environment could lead to widespread identity theft, loss of vital benefits, and the need for the government to re-issue every American a new Social Security Number.
The SSA stores personal data in secure environments with robust safeguards, according to an agency spokesperson. High-level career SSA officials have administrative access to this system, with oversight by the SSA's Information Security team. However, Borges' complaint alleged that DOGE officials had permitted themselves to copy Americans' Social Security information on a cloud server without proper authorization.
The data referenced in the complaint is stored in a long-standing environment used by the SSA and walled off from the internet. The authority responsible for access to the systems of the Social Insurance Office containing the "most sensitive data" of the federal government is the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), specifically the department for social insurance and old-age security.
In a surprising turn of events, the Supreme Court sided with DOGE, granting the efficiency unit access to SSA's records. This decision was not mentioned in earlier bullet points.
Wired reported that Borges' email was sent to agency staff but disappeared from some employees' inboxes minutes later. In his resignation letter, Borges stated that newly installed leadership in IT and executive offices created a culture of panic and dread, with minimal information sharing, frequent discussions on employee termination, and organizational dysfunction. He felt his role as CDO was "untenable" due to his "inability" to carry out his duties.
Borges served as SSA's CDO for over eight months. His resignation has sparked a debate about data security practices within the SSA and the need for transparency and accountability in handling sensitive information. The agency has faced criticism over DOGE's access to SSA systems, which houses the most sensitive data in the federal government. Borges' allegations of a hostile work environment, internal strife, and a culture of fear following the complaint further fuel the controversy.
