General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMusk and aides were caught replacing the hard drives at OPM.
Doesn't our government have IT people to do that? I'm curious to know if the new drives have a back door in them. Is that possible?
https://bsky.app/profile/altnps.bsky.social/post/3lh3dl3rkgc2u
https://bsky.app/profile/altnps.bsky.social/post/3lh3dl3rrb22u


Autumn
(47,627 posts)edit my OP and lost it.
dweller
(26,230 posts)dchill
(41,806 posts)CrispyQ
(39,374 posts)

dchill
(41,806 posts)newdeal2
(2,192 posts)I didn't know you could just waltz into buildings and steal or alter sensitive things, and walk out.
dalton99a
(87,779 posts)IronLionZion
(48,294 posts)Putin finally defeated the US from within
erronis
(18,695 posts)into their useful idiots.
whathehell
(30,117 posts)or without, at least not yet, so could we stop mourning in advance for awhile?
GreenWave
(10,882 posts)KPN
(16,526 posts)ShepKat
(460 posts)Their low has no bottom
Alice B.
(466 posts)sop
(13,405 posts)I've received no response, other than the usual boilerplate constituent nonsense. Apparently, the Republican party isn't very concerned by the takeover of our federal government by an unelected foreign-born nazi billionaire. Maybe they'll do something after they're bombarded with millions of calls, letters and emails.
Alice B.
(466 posts)... to mean a little something,
I'm beginning to feel like this is going to become a weekly routine.
So be it.




bronxiteforever
(10,252 posts)to own and use. This a country is a joke and the joke is on the American people.
DBoon
(23,623 posts)Says King Elon XIV
alarimer
(17,071 posts)Maybe plant some damning evidence on Musk somewhere someone will see it.
Or maybe lead HIS SSN on the dark web. Use it to buy drugs or whatever.
Illegal, sure, but fuck him.
Mike 03
(18,323 posts)a few days ago.
Igel
(36,665 posts)Autumn
(47,627 posts)on the difference between the two words.
sakabatou
(44,439 posts)Such as putting in a second hard drive into a tower that wasn't there before.
Replacing is installing a newer, or same, hardware or software, usually for an update/upgrade.
I am not a tech expert.
bluesbassman
(20,233 posts)His job as I understand it is to identify areas of waste in the government and advise about any issues. Number one his department does not have Congressional approval or oversight, and is not empowered to actually make any changes. Number two, how is the replacement or installation of any hardware or software by his aides within the limited scope of his department?
KPN
(16,526 posts)tanyev
(45,925 posts)because that sounds like it should be highly illegal.
Beck23
(368 posts)And they are accessing government information.
They also are into treasury systems. If you receive anything from the government, it contains your home address and SS number.
HipChick
(25,546 posts)because they will have all they need to hack voting systems beyond the 4 yrs....
When they start screwing around with Congress members' paychecks, we might see some action.
IronLionZion
(48,294 posts)patphil
(7,605 posts)This is a hostile take over of each agency the Republican terrorists can get their hands on.
Four years from now will be too late. Even a year from now the damage could be beyond fixing.
This was well planned.
Unless the Republicans in Congress take steps to stop it (fat chance), it will take a civil war to stop.
The question is what will the military do if ordered to kill US citizens. Will factions within the military fight among themselves.
We are rapidly approaching the point of no return.
Say goodbye to all that our ancestors struggled to create, and fought to defend.
Autumn
(47,627 posts)I'll take a guess. The military will do as ordered. This has been 4 years in the planning.
Kid Berwyn
(19,738 posts)And we Democrats held both Houses of Congress, too.
KPN
(16,526 posts)
getagrip_already
(17,641 posts)Stealing a hard drive is useless unless you have the encryption keys, which are locked down and likewise encrypted.
Adding a hard drive to a server could be done to transfer data to it in unencrypted format.
Seriously enterprise storage systems are based on unique architectures that wouldnt allow a foreign hard drive to be inserted, nore would the skill to do so be pedestrian.
However servers do have places ssd's or memory cards could be added.
Otherwise carrying around hard drives makes little sense.
druidity33
(6,687 posts)Or that they won't get them? That is not a firewall in this scenario.
Seinan Sensei
(926 posts)
and thus the demise of the American Experiment was sealed when Musk m-Elon sent his minions into OPM and replaced the hard drives
Not with a bang but a whimper.
Scrivener7
(55,024 posts)Smackdown2019
(1,280 posts)Worried my data is exposed by this.... OPM setup to check our credit last decade for potential hack...... i keep an eye on this.
James48
(4,784 posts)Duplicating those hard drives captures all the info our
Government has on every worker, every person. Its valuable to both the Russians and Chinese.
Musk is stealing the data and has sold it to our nations enemies.
eppur_se_muova
(38,703 posts)canetoad
(18,826 posts)What happened to the 'old' drives.
SARose
(1,295 posts)Anything besides Facebook or BlueSky?
We need to be careful here. Thanks!
Quixote1818
(30,857 posts)Is the following sentence true? Elon Musk staff has been caught installing hard drives inside the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Treasury Department, and the General Services Administration (GSA).
No, that sentence is false. There is no credible evidence or report supporting the claim that Elon Musk's staff has been caught installing hard drives inside the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Treasury Department, or the General Services Administration (GSA). If you came across this claim, it's likely misinformation or a conspiracy theory. Always verify such claims with reliable news sources.
Upon further investigation, recent reports indicate that associates of Elon Musk have taken significant actions within federal agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA). These actions include restricting access to computer systems and attempting to gain access to sensitive data. However, there is no specific evidence or credible reports confirming that Musk's staff has been caught installing hard drives inside the OPM, the Treasury Department, or the GSA. The claim appears to be unsubstantiated at this time.
So, currently this is just conspiracy theory stuff.
I asked one more question:
By restricting access to somputer systems and attempting to gain access to sensitive data, is this dangerous to democracy?
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Yes, if individuals associated with Elon Muskor anyone elseare restricting access to government computer systems and attempting to access sensitive data, it could pose a serious risk to democracy. Government agencies like the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Treasury Department, and the General Services Administration (GSA) manage critical public services, financial operations, and sensitive personnel records. Any unauthorized interference could undermine transparency, national security, and public trust in government institutions.
Democracy relies on fair governance, accountability, and the protection of public infrastructure. If external influences or private individuals manipulate these systems for personal or ideological reasons, it could weaken democratic processes, increase the risk of cyber vulnerabilities, and erode institutional integrity. Its crucial that any such actions be investigated thoroughly to ensure government agencies remain independent and secure.
Is this illegal? Why are they permitted to do this?
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Yes, if individuals are restricting access to government computer systems and attempting to gain access to sensitive data without proper authorization, this could be illegal under various U.S. laws, including:
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) Prohibits unauthorized access to government or protected computer systems.
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Requires agencies to protect their data and systems from breaches or unauthorized access.
Various national security and data protection laws Depending on the nature of the data being accessed, there could be additional violations.
Why Are They Permitted to Do This?
It's unclear if they are truly "permitted" or if government agencies are struggling to push back. However, some possible reasons include:
Political or Administrative Influence If individuals associated with Musk have been appointed to roles within these agencies, they may have legal access to systems and authority to make policy changes.
Lack of Oversight If these actions are happening unofficially, agencies may not yet have detected them or may be facing internal resistance to stopping them.
Private-Public Partnerships In some cases, private tech figures work with government agencies on contracts or projects, which could be exploited for greater influence.
Fear of Retaliation Employees within these agencies might be afraid to speak out due to job security concerns, political pressure, or fear of corporate/government backlash.
If these actions are truly occurring without authorization, they should be investigated. No private individualregardless of wealth or influenceshould have unchecked power over government systems.
Autumn
(47,627 posts)We are on our own here. Post # 1 has a thread about it.
sfdennis1
(46 posts)This UNELECTED foreign-born neo Nazi fascist is CLEARLY a threat to our governmental institutions, and is blitzkrieging his way thru our established failsafe policies and procedures EM shows no signs of slowing down or changing course, in fact hes now trying to inject his poison into Europes political landscape as well is it time for a patriotic Luigi to stand up and report for duty? We are under attack
Bozvotros
(911 posts)His greatest risk is going to come from his clogged arteries and brain. After that it would be someone within his ranks. Melania? Baron? Bueler?
sfdennis1
(46 posts)I understand its near impossible to unalive a potus, but I wish every night for the Orange Menace to be taken in his sleep my post referred to the very real threat that EM poses to our, and worldwide, democracy
Lonestarblue
(12,508 posts)If so, they have access to everyones Social Security number and bank account and routing numbers if you use direct deposit for tax returns or SS deposits. Most of Musks people are not federal employees and thus are not subject to the confidentiality demanded of employees. There is nothing to stop them from harvesting enormous amounts of our private data and selling it. Trumps DOJ will not investigate or prosecute. These are not honest people or they would not be working for Musk.
If you keep mire than a months expenses in your bank account, you might want to create an account at another bank and make sure that account is never used first any federal transaction or any state transaction if you live in a red state.
wishstar
(5,671 posts)and they have reportedly taken over computers of OPM, Treasury Dept and GSA of which Treasury Dept is the all encompassing payment system for all federal payments.
LPBBEAR
(513 posts)IT person
Yes, any organization that has an IT network typically has a designated group of individuals who handle all IT duties. Most organizations have server rooms that are locked and off limits to any but specifically assigned IT people. Those rooms are normally locked and only the designated authorized people are allowed access.
If Musk and his minions are changing hard drives someone gave them access and is complicit is compromising network security at those organizations.
That is a firing offense and likely illegal and leaves that person libel to criminal charges as well as whoever "replaced hard drives"..
Autumn
(47,627 posts)That is what puzeles me. Would it be easy to reinstall the data on the new drives?
It wouldn't be easy. If we're talking about employee workstations most IT departments use images of the employee workstations to speed up deployment. Those images include all the licensed software used by the employee, domain information, workstation IDs etc. That by itself takes a lot of time to get in place. If we're talking about the organizations servers that's even more complicated and time consuming. In most cases you can't just come in and "replace" hard drives without having the proper software drivers for the computer hardware and ALL the information needed to set up domains, firewalls usernames etc..
If they actually did do as this claims there had to be a fair amount of time spent pre-planning and preparing the whole operation. That would go back into the time period of the Biden administration. It can't be done in the less than 2 weeks Trump has been in office without total chaos resulting in IT functionality. You can't just walk into an IT server room and replace hard drives and expect it will work. Not without pre-planning and a lot of information about the organizations IT setup. That takes more than 2 weeks.
If there was pre-planning back far enough to make this possible, during the Biden administration, that would indicate collusion between Trump's people and people already working in those organizations. That is a breach of security and illegal since Trump wasn't in office at that time.
Autumn
(47,627 posts)decision. Trump is not intellegent enough to come up with this crap on his own.
Lonestarblue
(12,508 posts)Dem4life1234
(2,530 posts)I hope he is dumb enough to go to Germany and get arrested.
This is beyond sickening at this point.
Damn where are the laws of this country? He's not a government official.
Takket
(22,930 posts)Who is paying them?
what security clearances do they have?
it seems impossible for me to believe that drumpf can just write an executive order and grant a non-elected entity total control over the government.
nothing from congress
nothing from soctus
Autumn
(47,627 posts)3/ different pieces fit together. There also seems to be a significant amount of downloading government data onto private servers, etc, totally outside any cybersecurity regime. Additionally its unclear to the people inside whether the people doing these things actually work for the US govt
Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) February 1, 2025 at 10:09 PM
https://bsky.app/profile/joshtpm.bsky.social/post/3lh6b55qds22u