Federal authorities responsible for Social Security benefits affirm no data breach in Disability Benefits (DB) system; digital currency enthusiasts persistently inquire over an alleged duplicate of the data.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently under scrutiny following a whistleblower complaint made by Charles Borges in August. The complaint, which alleges that a cost-cutting unit named DOGE made an unauthorized copy of the SSA's Numident database, has raised concerns about data security and adherence to established protocols.
Senator Mike Crapo, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has asked the SSA to explain itself, and the SSA's response to these questions is available on its website. However, the SSA denies the allegations, but does not address the existence of a copy of the Numident database in its response.
The SSA adheres to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, and all SSA employees are vetted before being granted IT systems access. Permissions in the SSA's AWS environment follow standard processes. Yet, the alleged duplicate of the Numident database, as claimed by Borges, is located at the SSA's processing center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and was administered by DOGE employees, not SSA infrastructure administrators.
The location Borges referred to as the location for the duplicate Numident database is a secured server in the SSA's cloud infrastructure. The outcome of the Office of Special Counsel's preliminary look into Borges' complaint is not due until mid-October.
In his response to the whistleblower complaint, SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano questioned Borges' credibility. Borges, on the other hand, claims that he did not follow the chain of command in reporting his concerns, as stated by Bisignano.
The matter is not without controversy. DOGE has shown a willingness to disregard established security protocols, as the duplicate was placed in a cloud environment outside of the SSA's management. The SSA denies the existence of a private cloud server within its AWS cloud.
A response to both Crapo and Bisignano's letters from Borges' legal representation is forthcoming. The duplicate Numident database, if confirmed, could potentially pose a significant risk to the privacy and security of American citizens. The SSA, as the responsible entity, is ultimately tasked with conducting its own investigation into the matter.
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