Social Security Administration (SSA)

Senate Democrats, led by Senator Gary Peters, have raised alarms over the Social Security Administration (SSA) failing to secure federal data despite clear warnings. An internal SSA risk assessment revealed up to a **65% chance of a catastrophic breach**, yet critical systems remain operational **without verified security controls**. The exposed vulnerabilities threaten sensitive federal data, including personally identifiable information (PII) of millions of Americans—such as Social Security numbers, financial records, and employment histories.The lack of mitigating measures heightens the risk of **large-scale data exfiltration by cybercriminals or state-sponsored actors**, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or systemic disruptions in federal services. Given the SSA’s role in administering benefits to retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors, a successful breach could erode public trust, trigger legal repercussions, and impose massive remediation costs. The scenario aligns with long-standing concerns about **legacy IT infrastructure** in government agencies, where outdated systems and delayed patches create exploitable gaps. Without immediate intervention, the SSA’s negligence could culminate in a **devastating cyber incident** with cascading effects on national security and citizen welfare.

Source: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2025/10/senate-democrats-charge-doge-is-putting-federal-data-at-risk/

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ssa

"id": "ssa5102551100825",
"linkid": "ssa",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'public_sector',
                        'location': 'United States',
                        'name': 'Social Security Administration (SSA)',
                        'type': 'government_agency'},
                       {'location': 'United States',
                        'name': 'DOGE (entity/system referenced)'}],
 'data_breach': {'personally_identifiable_information': 'likely (federal data '
                                                        'context)',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'high (federal data)'},
 'description': 'Senate Democrats, led by Senator Peters, have raised concerns '
                'that DOGE (likely referring to a system or entity) is putting '
                'federal data at risk. A Social Security Administration (SSA) '
                'risk assessment indicated up to a 65% chance of a '
                'catastrophic breach, yet the data remains in systems lacking '
                'verified security controls.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'potential_damage_due_to_public_warning',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'high',
            'operational_impact': 'high_risk_of_catastrophic_breach',
            'systems_affected': ['federal_data_systems']},
 'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['federal_data']},
 'investigation_status': 'ongoing (public warning issued)',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['lack_of_verified_security_controls',
                                            'ignored_high-risk_assessment']},
 'recommendations': ['implement_verified_security_controls',
                     'address_SSA_risk_assessment_findings',
                     'mitigate_catastrophic_breach_risk'],
 'references': [{'source': 'Senate Democrats statement (via Senator Peters)'}],
 'response': {'communication_strategy': ['public_warning_by_Senate_Democrats']},
 'stakeholder_advisories': ['Senate_Democrats_warning'],
 'title': 'Senate Democrats Warn DOGE Puts Federal Data at Risk Due to '
          'Unverified Security Controls',
 'type': ['data_at_risk', 'potential_breach'],
 'vulnerability_exploited': ['lack_of_verified_security_controls',
                             'high_risk_assessment_ignored']}