Doge employees have been given access to the Federal Personnel and Payroll System by the U.S. Department of the Interior. This decision is made in the face of internal memos acknowledging the high risk. The decision, made over the weekend, allows at least two Doge employees access to the payroll system, which processes salaries for approximately 276,000 federal employees across various government agencies. This shift has caused great concern, especially surrounding data security and data privacy, as well as concerns over possible cybersecurity threats.
High-ranking officials wrote a scathing memo to the transition team detailing atypical requests from Doge staffers asking for this kind of access. The internal memo, obtained by The New York Times, raised red flags about the dangers of giving this kind of access. She noted that this would put employees in a position to view controversial sensitive personal information, such as SSNs. Furthermore, it underscored how those with heightened access would be made into attractive targets for cyber warfare.
“Without formal qualifications, the Department may experience significant failure because of operator error,” – A memo
In its comment against the access, the memo additionally stated that allowing access would enable Doge employees to fire federal workers with greater ease. What we found The report stressed that high access to key systems is an exception. Second, there is no one official in the Department of Interior who today has access to all HR, payroll and credentialing systems.
“such elevated access to critical high-value asset systems is rare with respect to individual systems and no single [Department of Interior] official presently has access to all HR, payroll and credentialing systems.” – A memo
Despite these warnings, interior department officials approved the access after Doge employees spent roughly two weeks developing it. The decision is a smart move in line with broader initiatives to carry out orders to reduce waste and improve efficiency in government.
“We are working to execute the President’s directive to cut costs and make the government more efficient for the American people and have taken actions to implement President Trump’s Executive Orders.” – A spokesperson for the interior department
Federal Personnel and Payroll System – The Privacy Act allows for rigorous controls. This is crucial for sensitive information and protects individuals’ privacy. Recent news about the granting of access has raised questions about whether security protocols were adequately prioritized.