DOGE must halt all ‘negligent cybersecurity practices,’ House Democrats tell Trump

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency group has “introduced negligent cybersecurity practices” into federal systems and should halt all risky activities, a group of House Democrats demanded on Tuesday.

“This reckless disregard of critical cybersecurity practices creates opportunities for hostile actors to access sensitive information,” top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump, echoing the widespread concerns of cybersecurity experts and privacy advocates

“We urge your Administration to cease all DOGE activities that create serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, expose government networks to cyberattacks, and risk disclosures of sensitive and personal information,” the lawmakers added. They cite reported access by DOGE to sensitive systems in the Office of Personnel Management, the Treasury Department and the Energy Department’s nuclear programs.

The missive is the latest development in the controversy that has surrounded Musk’s group since Trump was sworn back into office last month. DOGE employees, many of whom have no government experience, have reportedly visited nearly 20 federal entities, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Members of the group have combed through data systems and shut down programs, if not entire agencies. The work has sparked a wave of court cases and cries from Capitol Hill about potentially compromised networks.

​​”In a matter of weeks, reckless behavior by the unelected and unaccountable DOGE team has undermined this progress and left multiple government agencies vulnerable to cyberattacks by foreign agents and malicious actors,” the group, led by Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the panel’s top Democrat.

Lawmakers requested materials and a briefing from DOG leadership by March 11 in order to “determine the severity of reported cybersecurity and privacy violations.”

A group of DOGE employees resigned on Tuesday, saying in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles that they would not use their skills as technologists “to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that the 21 employees were holdovers from the U.S. Digital Service, a White House office that Trump renamed the U.S. DOGE Service.