[Data Privacy](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/data-privacy-c-151) , [Data Security](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/data-security-c-934) , [Government](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/government-c-524)US Supreme Court Grants DOGE Unfettered Access to SSA Systems=============================================================Unsigned Order Overturns District Court Injunction [David Perera](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/authors/david-perera-i-5119) ([@daveperera](https://www.twitter.com/@daveperera)) • June 6, 2025 [](https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/us-supreme-court-grants-doge-unfettered-access-to-ssa-systems-a-28614#disqus_thread) * * * * * [Credit Eligible](/premium/pricing ‘As a BankInfoSecurity.com annual member, this content can be used toward your membership credits and transcript tracking.’)* [](/premium/pricing ‘As a BankInfoSecurity.com annual member, this content can be used toward your membership credits and transcript tracking.’)* Get Permission*  Image: Bill Perry/ShutterstockThe U.S. Supreme Court granted Friday a Trump administration cost-cutting effort known as the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ access to data on Americans held at the Social Security Administration.**See Also:** [New Attacks. Skyrocketing Costs. The True Cost of a Security Breach.](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/whitepapers/new-attacks-skyrocketing-costs-true-cost-security-breach-w-14784?rf=RAM_SeeAlso)The court’s conservative justices in an [unsigned order](https://dd80b675424c132b90b3-e48385e382d2e5d17821a5e1d8e4c86b.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/external/24a10636j37-1.pdf) undid an [injunction](https://dd80b675424c132b90b3-e48385e382d2e5d17821a5e1d8e4c86b.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/external/govuscourtsmdd577321480.pdf) imposed in March by a federal district court in Maryland and upheld by two federal appellate reviews.’We conclude that, under the present circumstances, SSA may proceed to afford members of the SSA DOGE Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work,’ the order states. Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.Unions and an advocacy organization sued the Social Security Administration in a bid to prevent DOGE staffers from accessing records kept on U.S. citizens – records that can contain information on medical and mental health conditions, earnings and birth and marriage records. They accused DOGE of overlooking protections imposed by the Privacy Act, as well as violating federal rules for instituting new policies.U.S. District for the District of Maryland Judge Ellen Hollander [directed](https://dd80b675424c132b90b3-e48385e382d2e5d17821a5e1d8e4c86b.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/external/govuscourtsmdd577321480.pdf) DOGE staffers to delete data not anonymized and ordered them to remove any software they had installed on agency systems. ‘The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,’ Hollander [concluded](https://dd80b675424c132b90b3-e48385e382d2e5d17821a5e1d8e4c86b.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/external/govuscourtsmdd577321490.pdf).Solicitor General D. John Sauer [argued](https://dd80b675424c132b90b3-e48385e382d2e5d17821a5e1d8e4c86b.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/external/20250513153432172ssa-v-afscme-stay-application-reply-final.pdf) Hollander overstepped her authority. ‘District courts should not second-guess whether particular government employees really need particular records to do their jobs,’ he told the court.In a dissent penned by Jackson and joined by Sotomayor, two liberal justices accused their conservative colleagues of a double standard. Applicants for judicial stays, Jackson wrote, have been told through previous rulings that they must show an irreparable injury. Hollander’s injunction permitted the DOGE team to continue its work of detecting fraud using anonymized data, Jackson wrote. As a result, ‘the government has plainly failed to meet the moment, as it has not shown that it will suffer any concrete or irreparable harm unless this Court immediately intervenes.”The court is thereby, unfortunately, suggesting that what would be an extraordinary request for everyone else is nothing more than an ordinary day on the docket for this administration,’ she added.DOGE, until recently led – whether formally or informally – by mercurial multi-billionaire Elon Musk, has been responsible for a slew of questionable cybersecurity decisions (see: [*DOGE’s Nine Worst Cybersecurity Failures Under Elon Musk*](/doges-nine-worst-cybersecurity-failures-under-elon-musk-a-28564 )).  #### [David Perera](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/authors/david-perera-i-5119)*Editorial Director, News, ISMG* Perera is editorial director for news at Information Security Media Group. He previously covered privacy and data security for outlets including MLex and Politico.[](https://twitter.com/@daveperera) [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dperera) [](mailto:dperera@ismg.io)  [whitepaper](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/whitepapers/zero-trust-cybersecurity-for-federal-agencies-building-integrated-w-13911?rf=RAM_Resources)##### [Zero Trust Cybersecurity for Federal Agencies: Building an Integrated Approach](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/whitepapers/zero-trust-cybersecurity-for-federal-agencies-building-integrated-w-13911?rf=RAM_Resources) [whitepaper](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/whitepapers/cisco-umbrella-for-government-helping-agencies-meet-their-enhanced-w-13612?rf=RAM_Resources)##### [Cisco Umbrella for Government: Helping Agencies Meet Their Enhanced Cybersecurity Mandates and TIC3.0 Standards](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/whitepapers/cisco-umbrella-for-government-helping-agencies-meet-their-enhanced-w-13612?rf=RAM_Resources) ##### [OnDemand -| Agency Armor: Cybersecurity Compliance Essentials for Resource-Constrained Teams](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/webinars/ondemand-agency-armor-cybersecurity-compliance-essentials-for-resource-w-5345?rf=RAM_Resources) ##### [Making Sense of FedRAMP and StateRAMP](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/making-sense-fedramp-stateramp-a-21877?rf=RAM_Resources) ##### [OnDemand -| How To Meet Your Zero Trust Goals Through Advanced Endpoint Strategies](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/webinars/ondemand-how-to-meet-your-zero-trust-goals-through-advanced-endpoint-w-4371?rf=RAM_Resources) [Data Privacy](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/data-privacy-c-151)##### [US Supreme Court Grants DOGE Unfettered Access to SSA Systems](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/us-supreme-court-grants-doge-unfettered-access-to-ssa-systems-a-28614) [Critical Infrastructure Security](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/critical-infrastructure-security-c-525)##### [EU Prepares for Transnational Cyberattacks](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/eu-prepares-for-transnational-cyberattacks-a-28613) [Data Privacy](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/data-privacy-c-151)##### [DA: Sleep Center Worker Installed Secret Camera in Bathrooms](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/da-sleep-center-worker-installed-secret-camera-in-bathrooms-a-28611) [Cybersecurity Spending](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/cybersecurity-spending-c-664)##### [‘There Will Be Pain’: CISA Cuts Spark Bipartisan Concerns](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/there-will-be-pain-cisa-cuts-spark-bipartisan-concerns-a-28610) [Artificial Intelligence -& Machine Learning](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-c-469)##### [ISMG Editors: Infosecurity Europe Conference 2025 Wrap-Up](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/ismg-editors-infosecurity-europe-conference-2025-wrap-up-a-28609)[Overview](https://www.govinfosecurity.com/webinars/risk-management-framework-learn-from-nist-w-255) * Twitter* Facebook* LinkedIn* * * From heightened risks to increased regulations, senior leaders at all levels are pressured to improve their organizations’ risk management capabilities. But no one is showing them how – until now.Learn the fundamentals of developing a risk management program from the man who wrote the book on the topic: Ron Ross, computer scientist for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In an exclusive presentation, Ross, lead author of NIST Special Publication 800-37 – the bible of risk assessment and management – will share his unique insights on how to:* Understand the current cyber threats to all public and private sector organizations;* Develop a multi-tiered risk management approach built upon governance, processes and information systems;* Implement NIST’s risk management framework, from defining risks to selecting, implementing and monitoring information security controls.Presented By———— [Presented By](/authors/ron-ross-i-558)—————————————#### [Ron Ross](/authors/ron-ross-i-558)*Sr. Computer Scientist -& Information Security Researcher, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)*
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Blog: GovInfoSecurity
Gather Victim Org Information: Identify Roles
Gather Victim Org Information
Software Discovery: Security Software Discovery
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