White House security staff warned Musk's Starlink is a security risk [View all]
Source: Washington Post
June 7, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Elon Musk’s team at the U.S. DOGE Service and allies in the Trump administration ignored White House communications experts worried about potential security breaches when DOGE personnel installed Musk’s Starlink internet service in the complex this year, three people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues, said those who were managing White House communications systems were not informed in advance when DOGE representatives went to the roof of the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building in February to install a terminal connecting users in the complex to Starlink satellites, which are owned by Musk’s private SpaceX rocket company.
The people said those managing the systems weren’t able to monitor such connections to stop sensitive information from leaving the complex or hackers from breaking in. It could not be verified whether the rooftop terminal remains installed or if anything would change now that Musk has receded from the government. A “Starlink Guest” WiFi network appeared on White House phones in February, prompting users only for a password, not a username or a second form of authentication, according to the people. That WiFi network was still appearing on White House visitors’ phones this week.
The White House referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service, which said it could not discuss specific technology systems for security reasons. “We were aware of DOGE’s intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/07/starlink-white-house-security-doge-musk/
No paywall (gift)
It ain't just Starlink. It's the owner too.
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