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Musk and aides were caught replacing the hard drives at OPM. (Original Post) Autumn Feb 1 OP
Kick dalton99a Feb 1 #1
Thank you for posting that. I couldn't see her threads on my post so I tried to Autumn Feb 1 #9
Alt National Park Service 👍 dweller Feb 1 #11
That is a jazzy meme! Whoever wrote it is the Charlie Parker of memes. dchill Feb 1 #18
It's a great meme, but it started as a protest sign at the 2017 women's march, printed w/ black marker on cardboard. -nt CrispyQ Feb 1 #29
Nevertheless. dchill Feb 1 #31
What's to stop him from doing the same at the CIA, FBI, NSA, or Pentagon? newdeal2 Feb 1 #2
All they had to say: "Elon sent me. He's the new owner of the United States." dalton99a Feb 1 #6
Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and Kash Patel will hand it all over to them IronLionZion Feb 1 #21
As Kruschev foretold. They (russkis) couldn't do it directly so they converted a bunch of US people erronis Feb 1 #40
Putin has not "defeated the US" from within whathehell Feb 1 #53
Agencies should stand their ground. Musk cannot just do whatever the fuck his apartheid heart tells him. GreenWave Feb 1 #3
Musk has no aithorization excepty Trump's unlike any other Department head or Secretary. KPN Feb 1 #35
yes it is possible ShepKat Feb 1 #4
I called and emailed my congressmen this AM. What else can we do to sound the alarm? Alice B. Feb 1 #5
I've done the same; called and emailed my congressional representative and both US Senators, all Republicans. sop Feb 1 #28
I've always kind of rolled my eyes at petitions and this kind of thing but now I think, when taken in aggregate, it has Alice B. Feb 1 #51
Kick SheltieLover Feb 1 #7
That is government property and not Musk's bronxiteforever Feb 1 #8
l'etat c'est moi DBoon Feb 1 #13
We need some "good" hackers on our side alarimer Feb 1 #10
I know... I was reminiscing wistfully about the Anonymous collective Mike 03 Feb 1 #27
Is there a difference between "installing" and "replacing"? n/t Igel Feb 1 #12
I have no idea. I'm not in IT but I'm thinking you have an opinion Autumn Feb 1 #14
Installing, I would guess, putting in something new that wasn't there before sakabatou Feb 1 #19
Both are correct. The real question is why are Musk's people doing this? bluesbassman Feb 1 #26
THIS x 1000 KPN Feb 1 #37
1+ Norrrm Feb 1 #15
Too bad our DOJ and FBI is already compromised, tanyev Feb 1 #16
They don't have security clearances Beck23 Feb 1 #17
and maybe Trump will be the last 'elected' President HipChick Feb 1 #22
K&R Bayard Feb 1 #20
Maybe they'll increase paychecks for certain crooked ones to keep them in line IronLionZion Feb 1 #23
K&R. dchill Feb 1 #24
They're stealing government data. The new drives will probabldy be encrypted to prevent knowing what's on them. patphil Feb 1 #25
Your question "what will the military do if ordered to kill US citizens" Autumn Feb 1 #30
Which is why it's so puzzling that so little was done. Kid Berwyn Feb 1 #33
Need you wonder? KPN Feb 1 #32
Sensitive data is encypted at rest.... getagrip_already Feb 1 #34
You think they don't have the encryption keys? druidity33 Feb 2 #61
So future history books will read Seinan Sensei Feb 1 #36
HOW IS THIS BEING ALLOWED?? Scrivener7 Feb 1 #38
I am worried! Smackdown2019 Feb 1 #39
They will sell the data to our nation's enemies. James48 Feb 1 #41
Including private corps, and outwards from there to every bad actor who can pony up a few $$$. nt eppur_se_muova Feb 1 #50
It's important to know canetoad Feb 1 #42
Is this confirmed? SARose Feb 1 #43
I asked ChatGPT and this is what it said. (seems to be unconfirmed) Quixote1818 Feb 1 #47
Who is going to confirm it? Trump? Musk? Republicans? Autumn Feb 1 #49
Is it time...? sfdennis1 Feb 1 #44
I think Trump will be too closely protected for any citizen Luigi Bozvotros Feb 1 #46
EM, not the Cheeto ;) sfdennis1 Feb 1 #48
Has Musk's team of tech frat boys taken over the IRS yet? Lonestarblue Feb 1 #45
Yes, because IRS is part of the Treasury Dept wishstar Feb 1 #54
As a mostly retired LPBBEAR Feb 1 #52
Would there be any reason for the hard drives to be repaced? Autumn Feb 1 #55
No LPBBEAR Feb 1 #57
I think these people have been working on this since well before the immunity Autumn Feb 1 #58
Illegal, but no one st the DOJ will prosecute. We are now a lawless government. Lonestarblue Feb 1 #56
Why the fuck is he not being charged? Dem4life1234 Feb 1 #59
who are these people working for him? Takket Feb 1 #60
That's just it. No one knows. They will only give their first names to avoid being "doxed" Autumn Feb 2 #62

Autumn

(47,627 posts)
9. Thank you for posting that. I couldn't see her threads on my post so I tried to
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:23 PM
Feb 1

edit my OP and lost it.

dweller

(26,230 posts)
11. Alt National Park Service 👍
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:37 PM
Feb 1

Last edited Sat Feb 1, 2025, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)





Follow on Facebook and @altnps.org
✌🏻

CrispyQ

(39,374 posts)
29. It's a great meme, but it started as a protest sign at the 2017 women's march, printed w/ black marker on cardboard. -nt
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:02 PM
Feb 1

newdeal2

(2,192 posts)
2. What's to stop him from doing the same at the CIA, FBI, NSA, or Pentagon?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:17 PM
Feb 1

I didn't know you could just waltz into buildings and steal or alter sensitive things, and walk out.

IronLionZion

(48,294 posts)
21. Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and Kash Patel will hand it all over to them
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:38 PM
Feb 1

Putin finally defeated the US from within

erronis

(18,695 posts)
40. As Kruschev foretold. They (russkis) couldn't do it directly so they converted a bunch of US people
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:36 PM
Feb 1

into their useful idiots.

whathehell

(30,117 posts)
53. Putin has not "defeated the US" from within
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 04:01 PM
Feb 1

or without, at least not yet, so could we stop mourning in advance for awhile?

GreenWave

(10,882 posts)
3. Agencies should stand their ground. Musk cannot just do whatever the fuck his apartheid heart tells him.
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:19 PM
Feb 1

KPN

(16,526 posts)
35. Musk has no aithorization excepty Trump's unlike any other Department head or Secretary.
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:13 PM
Feb 1

sop

(13,405 posts)
28. I've done the same; called and emailed my congressional representative and both US Senators, all Republicans.
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:59 PM
Feb 1

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)
51. I've always kind of rolled my eyes at petitions and this kind of thing but now I think, when taken in aggregate, it has
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 03:41 PM
Feb 1

... 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)
8. That is government property and not Musk's
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:22 PM
Feb 1

to own and use. This a country is a joke and the joke is on the American people.

alarimer

(17,071 posts)
10. We need some "good" hackers on our side
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:34 PM
Feb 1

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.

Autumn

(47,627 posts)
14. I have no idea. I'm not in IT but I'm thinking you have an opinion
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 12:50 PM
Feb 1

on the difference between the two words.

sakabatou

(44,439 posts)
19. Installing, I would guess, putting in something new that wasn't there before
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:35 PM
Feb 1

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)
26. Both are correct. The real question is why are Musk's people doing this?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:51 PM
Feb 1

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?

tanyev

(45,925 posts)
16. Too bad our DOJ and FBI is already compromised,
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:21 PM
Feb 1

because that sounds like it should be highly illegal.

Beck23

(368 posts)
17. They don't have security clearances
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:28 PM
Feb 1

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)
22. and maybe Trump will be the last 'elected' President
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:38 PM
Feb 1

because they will have all they need to hack voting systems beyond the 4 yrs....

Bayard

(24,635 posts)
20. K&R
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:35 PM
Feb 1

When they start screwing around with Congress members' paychecks, we might see some action.

patphil

(7,605 posts)
25. They're stealing government data. The new drives will probabldy be encrypted to prevent knowing what's on them.
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 01:46 PM
Feb 1

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)
30. Your question "what will the military do if ordered to kill US citizens"
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:02 PM
Feb 1

I'll take a guess. The military will do as ordered. This has been 4 years in the planning.

Kid Berwyn

(19,738 posts)
33. Which is why it's so puzzling that so little was done.
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:10 PM
Feb 1

And we Democrats held both Houses of Congress, too.

getagrip_already

(17,641 posts)
34. Sensitive data is encypted at rest....
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:11 PM
Feb 1

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)
61. You think they don't have the encryption keys?
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 08:40 AM
Feb 2

Or that they won't get them? That is not a firewall in this scenario.



Seinan Sensei

(926 posts)
36. So future history books will read
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:14 PM
Feb 1

“… 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.

Smackdown2019

(1,280 posts)
39. I am worried!
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:34 PM
Feb 1

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)
41. They will sell the data to our nation's enemies.
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:36 PM
Feb 1

Duplicating those hard drives captures all the info our
Government has on every worker, every person. It’s valuable to both the Russians and Chinese.
Musk is stealing the data and has sold it to our nation’s enemies.

eppur_se_muova

(38,703 posts)
50. Including private corps, and outwards from there to every bad actor who can pony up a few $$$. nt
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 03:39 PM
Feb 1

SARose

(1,295 posts)
43. Is this confirmed?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:49 PM
Feb 1

Anything besides Facebook or BlueSky?

We need to be careful here. Thanks!

Quixote1818

(30,857 posts)
47. I asked ChatGPT and this is what it said. (seems to be unconfirmed)
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 03:09 PM
Feb 1

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 Musk—or anyone else—are 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. It’s 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 individual—regardless of wealth or influence—should have unchecked power over government systems.

sfdennis1

(46 posts)
44. Is it time...?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:51 PM
Feb 1

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 he’s now trying to inject his poison into Europe’s 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)
46. I think Trump will be too closely protected for any citizen Luigi
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 03:02 PM
Feb 1

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)
48. EM, not the Cheeto ;)
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 03:22 PM
Feb 1

I understand it’s 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)
45. Has Musk's team of tech frat boys taken over the IRS yet?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 02:59 PM
Feb 1

If so, they have access to everyone’s Social Security number and bank account and routing numbers if you use direct deposit for tax returns or SS deposits. Most of Musk’s 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. Trump’s 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 month’s 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)
54. Yes, because IRS is part of the Treasury Dept
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 04:11 PM
Feb 1

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)
52. As a mostly retired
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 03:47 PM
Feb 1

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)
55. Would there be any reason for the hard drives to be repaced?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 04:15 PM
Feb 1

That is what puzeles me. Would it be easy to reinstall the data on the new drives?

LPBBEAR

(513 posts)
57. No
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 05:31 PM
Feb 1

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)
58. I think these people have been working on this since well before the immunity
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 06:27 PM
Feb 1

decision. Trump is not intellegent enough to come up with this crap on his own.

Dem4life1234

(2,530 posts)
59. Why the fuck is he not being charged?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 07:17 PM
Feb 1

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)
60. who are these people working for him?
Sat Feb 1, 2025, 07:20 PM
Feb 1

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)
62. That's just it. No one knows. They will only give their first names to avoid being "doxed"
Sun Feb 2, 2025, 11:13 AM
Feb 2

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 it’s 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

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