A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction that significantly limits the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to sensitive Social Security Administration (SSA) data. The decision comes amid heightened concerns over data security following allegations that Russian entities gained access to newly created DOGE accounts shortly after their establishment. “The unauthorized access to sensitive personal information of millions of Americans represents a serious overreach of executive authority,” stated Judge Eleanor Simmons in her 42-page ruling. “If verified, this could represent one of the most significant data security incidents in federal government history,” explained Dr. The ruling, handed down yesterday, found that the government had provided DOGE with access to this private information without a sufficient legal basis. DOGE, established last year as part of a broader government efficiency initiative, was tasked with streamlining federal operations and reducing bureaucratic redundancies. “This decision reaffirms that even government efficiency cannot come at the expense of Americans’ privacy rights,” said Marcus Thornton, director of the Digital Privacy Coalition. The agency had been granted unprecedented access to various government databases, including the SSA’s repository of personal information on nearly every American citizen. Cybersecurity experts note that the claims of Russian access to DOGE accounts require a thorough investigation. These potential security breaches have raised alarms among privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts nationwide. Several lawmakers are calling for a complete review of DOGE’s operations and data access across all federal agencies. The court order requires DOGE to immediately delete any non-anonymized data already accessed and remove all software previously installed on SSA systems. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Sat, 19 Apr 2025 13:35:15 +0000