Technology

Elon Musk’s rapid unscheduled disassembly of the US government

Published

11 months ago

February 10, 2025

Elon Musk’s rapid unscheduled disassembly of the US government

Almost 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, America has gotten herself a new king. His name is Elon Musk.

“Wait a minute,” you may be saying. “What about President Donald Trump?” Trump ran, much like Silvio Berlusconi before him, primarily to avoid prosecutions. He has never liked being president and he has already gotten what he wants. He’s not the power center. Musk is.

Consequently I will not be bothering with whatever statements Katie Miller of DOGE and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt are putting out. We all have eyes; we can see what is going on. Musk has taken over the civilian government. This is a billionaire pulling a heist on the entire nation.

Here are the things Musk has installed his IT Renfields at:

We all learned in 2022, with the weaponization of SWIFT, that technical systems are a source of power. By controlling the infrastructure, Musk controls the nation. The two most obviously significant agencies on that list are the Treasury, which controls the money, and the Department of Energy, which controls the nuclear secrets. Less obviously significant but equally troubling is the General Services Administration, which is effectively the infrastructure of the government itself.

“Continued access to any payment systems by DOGE members, even ‘read only,’ likely poses the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.”

The GSA, an agency most of us have never had to think about, is in charge of buildings, sure. But also it runs an awful lot of the technical infrastructure of the government — it is basically the feds’ IT. If the US government were a brain, the GSA is the brain stem, the part that manages heartbeats and breathing so they’re below the level of thoughts.

“This is the largest data breach and the largest IT security breach in our country’s history—at least that’s publicly known,” a contractor who’s worked on classified systems at government agencies told The Atlantic.

Here’s the threat intelligence team at the Treasury, as reported by Wired, just to underline the seriousness of Musk’s access: “We further recommend that DOGE members be placed under insider threat monitoring and alerting after their access to payment systems is revoked. Continued access to any payment systems by DOGE members, even ‘read only,’ likely poses the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.” After The Washington Post inquired about that memo, the person who wrote it was ”removed” by contractor Booz Allen. But a second warning memo was also sent by a Treasury insider, warning of risks from DOGE.

Judge Paul Englemayer granted a temporary restraining order to 19 states seeking to halt Musk and crew’s access to the Treasury systems. Englemayer wrote that the states would experience “irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief.” Why? “Both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking,” he wrote.

Is anyone checking to see if the court order will be followed?

Fantastic. This is an agency that controls $5 trillion, and contains sensitive personal information for — among others — American spies abroad. It’s also, by the way, tax season. And now Trump says that “we have less debt than we thought of?” Boy, that sounds like a fun new way to default on a loan. It’s a terrifying prospect if you are a finance-knower: US bonds are the safest assets in the world, at least for now, and making them risky shakes the foundation of the global financial system. On the other hand, Trump might just be saying shit again.

Oh, sure, yes, there are those challenges in the courts to Musk’s access to the Treasury, and to shutting down USAID, which may well have been illegal. Here’s the thing: Musk doesn’t care about laws. Remember when he was meant to receive a “Twitter sitter” after the time he pretended he wanted to take Tesla private? The courts ordered one. It has never appeared. Or maybe we should talk about the depositions he hasn’t shown up for. Or all the government requests to fix Tesla’s so-called Autopilot that he’s ignored. And given the lying about the Treasury access, I don’t think we can rule out the possibility that Musk and co. simply lie under oath. He’s also got himself a cadre of elite lawyers, two of whom clerked for conservative Supreme Court justices, to argue for him in court.

So it’s no real surprise that he’s posting stuff on X that indicates he isn’t taking the court order to back away from the Treasury seriously. “Corrupt judges protecting corruption,” Musk wrote of the court order. Congressman Darrell Issa wrote that he was “immediately introducing legislation next week to stop these rogue judges,” which Musk quoted with American flag emoji. Vice President JD Vance, the nation’s highest-ranking kiss-ass, wrote on X, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Vance has always been in the running to be Yale Law School’s most embarrassing graduate, a competitive endeavor; calling for a coup in violation of his oath of office and a basic understanding of the Constitution pretty much cements him at the top of the list.

Are we still a nation of laws? Is anyone checking to see if the court order will be followed? About the only things Musk hasn’t taken over are the military and law enforcement. What happens if he obviously ignores a court order, and the court issues a warrant for his arrest? Does domestic law enforcement side with the court or with Musk?

The Republicans are ready to make a horse a consul

Regardless of Musk’s personal contempt for the law, there’s also the fact of the January 6th pardons, which sent a clear message: breaking the law is okay, as long as Trump thinks it’s okay. And since Trump is effectively Musk’s puppet, Musk has carte blanche. The most these court orders might do is give cover to staffers at these departments to deny Musk’s team access to the things they want. Of course, we already know those staffers can be fired and replaced.

What has our Congress been up to while this hostile takeover of our government has been happening in plain sight? Well, the Democrats are still writing strongly worded letters, and showing up at protests, and allowing glorified mall cops to turn them away from the departments Musk has already conquered. The closest they’ve come to action is Senator Cory Booker’s threat of a debt default or government shutdown. The Republicans… aside from the ones vociferously approving of Musk usurping their control over the nation’s spending, they appear to be Milford Men. They are ready to make a horse a consul.

Musk is now flexing his power. After his staffer Marko Elez resigned for saying he “was racist before it was cool,” Musk put up a poll on X, the go-to groyper platform, asking if Elez should be reinstated. As of this writing, the answer was “yes.” Elez had read and write access to the Treasury’s systems.

Should Elez come back? Local lapdog Vance thinks so! (Sure sounds like Vance is taking orders from Musk rather than the other way around.) Musk then posted that Elez “will be brought back.” That does rather make it clear who’s in charge, doesn’t it?

“The Man Who Knew Nothing about Risk.”

So now that Musk has control of the guts of the government, let’s consider his extraordinarily reckless history with payments and IT systems. When Musk was running the company that would become PayPal, it had what his coworker and buddy Peter Thiel called “a runaway fraud problem.” When Thiel thought about writing a book about the experience, he said he’d title the Musk chapter “The Man Who Knew Nothing about Risk.”

This may explain why Musk has hired Edward Coristine, who was fired from a cybersecurity firm for “leaking internal information to the competitors,” according to an internal message reported by Bloomberg. Oh, and also he’s on a watch list for federal cybercrime enforcement, and worked at a startup with convicted hackers. Now, of course, he’s got access to our government’s internal systems. Neat! Also there’s Gavin Kliger, who seems to have his own interest in white supremacy. It’s unclear what he does at the Office of Personnel Management, but he probably should not be in that building at all.

No wonder they’re hiding from the regular USDS employees.

This kind of sloppiness makes sense for those of us who followed Musk’s Twitter takeover. Musk has a real interest in moving fast and breaking things, with an emphasis on breaking things. For instance, there’s the time a “bug” restored deleted tweets. Or that time private tweets were made public. Or the older images that no longer displayed.

Bad news for Blue Origin and OpenAI: King Elon holds a grudge

Now, imagine this at the Treasury, with a bunch of children who don’t know COBOL toying with the systems. Even a slight bug can fuck up trillions of dollars — during tax season. I don’t want to think about what happens with a bug in the code at DoE, because one possible answer is a leak of our nuclear secrets — which is something we, as a nation, used to take so seriously that we executed people.

Oh sure, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright says that the DOGE dorks don’t have access to nuclear secrets but hey, remember when the Treasury said DOGE didn’t have write access and that was not true at all?

Hm!

Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images

Even discounting the possibility of some catastrophic mistake, let’s think about what success would look like for King Elon. Judging by his constant, unhinged posts on X, his hiring practices, and his support of Germany’s far-right party, it seems like he’s down with white supremacy. That also clears up any question about his let’s-argue-about-whether-it’s-a-Nazi-salute “gesture” at the inauguration; it was meant both to signal he could say or do anything he wants without consequence and to fire up his base of racists. So that probably means immigration cutoffs except in the cases of H-1bs that now work like indentured servitude, and government pressure on anyone who hires women, trans people, or non-white men. The non-prosecution of hate crimes, obviously. I’m not confident in continued protections for abortion or even birth control, because of Musk’s weird pronatalist thing.

Musk’s paramount goal, however, is always for Musk to acquire more money and power. This usually comes at the expense of literally everyone else.

So it’s not hard to imagine that means his AI endeavor gets embedded in the government, X becomes the main platform for all government communications (and maybe also the main payment provider, just like WeChat, because that’s the kind of thing you can do in an authoritarian government), Starlink becomes the de facto internet provider, and suddenly every government official drives a Cybertruck. What happens to the other tech giants? Well, turns out they were sucking up to the wrong guy. Bad news for Blue Origin and OpenAI: King Elon holds a grudge.

The military has been suspiciously quiet about this direct threat to national security

Anyone who objects gets shipped to Guantanamo, or better yet, El Salvador. After all, Musk already has a pet prosecutor, Ed Martin, who (while not advocating for the last wave of insurrectionists) told Musk that he’d begin proceedings at Musk’s referral and anyone who has “broken the law or even acted simply unethically” can expected to be chased “to the end of the Earth.” This is to say nothing of the possibility of stochastic violence from white supremacists, spurred by posts on X.

The only thing we all really have going for us is that Musk has a tiny team. Sure, they can download a ton of sensitive government data — not great! — but they can’t run all of these agencies at once. And none of these people has the 20 years’ experience with COBOL that would be necessary to take this stuff over quickly. Leaving aside Musk’s propensity for fucking around and finding out, his ability to control all these systems remains somewhat limited by his staffing. Maybe he can get Trump’s people to help him, but given Musk’s arrogance, I suspect Musk will want to hand-pick a team; I’d guess he assumes Trump’s people are idiots, given how easily he’s run through them.

But the more systems Musk has access to, and the more data he can futz around with, the more likely it becomes that something catastrophic happens. Because it seems Congress won’t act, and Musk can ignore the courts at will, it seems that the defense of citizens’ private data, classified information, and all government payments falls on government staffers and their unions alone.

There’s a reason Musk-hater Steve Bannon has been daring him to start taking a look at the Pentagon. Bannon knows that’s where this all falls apart. The military has been suspiciously quiet about this direct threat to national security, and there’s no telling how the spies feel. Given how much of the government Musk has taken over, an anti-Musk junta isn’t beyond the pale — and while Musk presumably has private security, there are a lot more people in, say, the Army.

This strikes me as an all-or-nothing action for Musk. If he wins, he rules the most powerful nation on Earth. If he loses, he’s going to have legal headaches for the rest of his life, maybe even the sort that land him in jail. X continues to hemorrhage money, Tesla’s declining sales catch up with the company, and maybe worst for him, he’s publicly humiliated — having gone from King Musk to nothing at all. I expect him to fight tooth and nail to hold on to the power he’s grabbed. The question is if he’ll have to.

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Technology

Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

Published

2 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

In one case that experts described as “really dangerous”, Google wrongly advised people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat foods. Experts said this was the exact opposite of what should be recommended, and may increase the risk of patients dying from the disease.

In another “alarming” example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.

Technology

10 ways to protect seniors from email scams

Published

3 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

10 ways to protect seniors from email scams

Cyber expert shares tips to avoid AI phishing scams

Kurt ‘The CyberGuy’ Knutsson shares practical ways to avoid falling victim to AI-generated phishing scams and discusses a report that North Korean agents are posing as I.T. workers to funnel money into the country’s nuclear program.

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Email scams have become one of the fastest ways scammers steal money from older adults. A single click can expose bank accounts, personal data and retirement savings built over a lifetime. That growing risk is what prompted Bob to write to us with a question many families are now facing:

“My friend’s father is 95 and absolutely lives through his phone/laptop. He refuses to give up either and often clicks on email links. A few years ago, he got caught up in a gift card scam that almost cost him his life savings. It’s not taking away the car keys anymore; it is taking away the email and access to online banking! What do you recommend that his daughter do to protect his online presence?”

Bob is right. For many seniors, email and online banking have replaced car keys as the most dangerous access point. The goal is not to take devices away. It is to quietly put guardrails in place so one bad click does not turn into a financial disaster.

Here is a practical plan families can actually use.

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1) Separate money from daily email use

Start by limiting how much damage a single click can cause. If possible, remove online banking access from the devices used for email. When that is not realistic, open a second checking account with only everyday spending money and link it to a debit card for routine purchases.

Keep primary savings accounts offline or set to view-only access. If available, require in-branch or phone verification for transfers above a set amount. This way, even if credentials are compromised, the largest accounts remain protected.

2) Lock down email to stop scams targeting seniors

Email is the number one entry point for scams targeting seniors. Strong filtering matters. Use an email provider with advanced spam protection, such as Gmail or Outlook.com. In the email settings:

Turn off automatic image loading
Disable link previews
Block or auto-quarantine attachments from unknown senders
Automatically move messages from unknown senders to a Review folder

If available, enable warnings for emails that use familiar display names but come from unfamiliar addresses. This helps stop impersonation scams that pretend to be family, banks or service providers. These steps slow scammers down and reduce impulse clicks before damage happens.

Email is dominant, but voicemail and callback scams are also growing fast among seniors, often as a follow-up to phishing emails. If possible, silence unknown callers and block voicemail-to-email transcription for unfamiliar numbers, since many scams now start with urgent callback messages rather than links.

Email scams often start with messages that look routine but hide urgent threats designed to trigger quick clicks. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3) Add a trusted second set of eyes

Next, add safety nets that notify family members when something looks wrong. Enable banking alerts for large withdrawals, new payees, password changes, unusual logins and new device sign-ins. Add his daughter as a trusted contact wherever the bank allows it. If available, enable delays or approval requirements for first-time transfers to new payees. This creates a cooling period that can stop scam-driven transactions. For email accounts, set up a recovery contact so that his daughter is notified immediately if someone attempts to access or reset the account.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on email and banking accounts, but pair it with device and transfer alerts, since many scams now succeed even when 2FA is enabled.

4) Harden devices so clicks do not equal catastrophe

Devices should be set up to fail safely. Keep operating systems and browsers updated. Make sure the laptop uses a standard user account instead of an administrator account. This prevents software from installing without approval. Install real-time protection that blocks scam sites before they load. Strong antivirus software helps block malicious links and fake login pages automatically.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use a password manager to block fake logins

Password reuse makes scams far more dangerous. Fake pop-ups and lookalike websites are designed to trick people into typing usernames and passwords by hand. A password manager removes that risk by storing credentials securely and autofilling them only on legitimate websites. If a page is fake or malicious, the password manager will not fill anything. That simple refusal often prevents account takeovers before they start. Password managers also reduce frustration by eliminating the need to remember or reuse passwords across email, banking and shopping accounts. When set up correctly, this protection works quietly in the background on both phones and laptops.

Many phishing scams no longer rely on obvious fake emails. They rely on realistic login pages. Autofill protection is one of the most effective ways to stop these attacks without changing daily habits.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

MALICIOUS CHROME EXTENSIONS CAUGHT STEALING SENSITIVE DATA

6) Freeze credit and monitor identity exposure

If scammers already have personal information, prevention alone is not enough. Freeze credit with Experian, TransUnion and Equifax to prevent new accounts from being opened. Also, place freezes with ChexSystems and the National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange to stop criminals from opening bank accounts, phone lines, or utility services in his name.

If possible, request an IRS Identity Protection PIN to prevent tax-related identity theft.

Add ongoing identity monitoring so suspicious activity triggers alerts quickly. Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address, and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.

See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

7) Set clear rules around scams and payments

Technology helps, but expectations matter. Have one calm conversation and agree on simple rules:

No gift cards for urgent emails or texts
No sending money through unfamiliar apps or cryptocurrency
Always call a trusted family member before acting on urgency

Post these rules near the computer or phone. Visual reminders reduce panic decisions. Also, before setting rules, choose one primary trusted contact. Multiple helpers can slow response during urgent scams and create confusion when fast decisions matter. That person should be the default call for anything urgent involving money, account access, or unexpected requests.

Adult children increasingly step in to help parents spot red flags before a simple mistake turns into a financial loss. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

8) Reduce exposure with a data removal service

Scammers often find seniors by pulling personal details from public data broker websites. These sites publish phone numbers, addresses, relatives and age information that make targeting easier. A data removal service works behind the scenes to opt seniors out of these databases and reduce how much personal information is publicly available online. Fewer exposed details means fewer scam calls, fewer phishing emails and fewer impersonation attempts. This step does not stop every scam, but it significantly lowers how often seniors are targeted in the first place.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

9) Use senior-friendly monitoring tools the right way

Many tools designed for child safety also work well for seniors when used thoughtfully. When configured correctly, they add protection without interfering with daily routines.

Below are device-specific steps families can use today.

iPhone and iPad

Apple’s built-in Screen Time tools provide strong protection without installing extra apps.

What to set up:

Open Settings and tap Screen Time
Turn on Screen Time for the device
Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on
Under App Store Purchases, set app installs to Don’t Allow
Tap Web Content and limit access to approved or safe websites
Set a Screen Time passcode known only to the caregiver

If the caregiver wants remote visibility or control, add the device to Family Sharing and manage Screen Time from the caregiver’s Apple ID.

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Why this helps: It blocks many scam sites, prevents accidental app installs and stops fake update prompts from causing damage.

Android phones and tablets

Android offers built-in protections and optional supervised controls.

What to set up:

Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer

Open Settings and go to Digital Wellbeing & parental controls
Turn on parental controls for the device
Restrict app installs and require approval for new downloads
Enable Safe Browsing and website filtering
Turn on alerts for new app installs and account changes

For families who want shared oversight, Google Family Link can be used to supervise app installs and receive alerts, as long as both parties agree.

Why this helps: Many Android scams rely on fake app installs. These settings block that path.

Windows computers

Windows protection works best when user accounts are set correctly.

What to set up:

Create a standard user account for daily use
Keep the caregiver account as the only administrator
Turn on Microsoft Family Safety if available
Enable SmartScreen and browser phishing protection
Block software installs without administrator approval

Why this helps: Malware often installs silently on admin accounts. This setup prevents that.

Mac computers

macOS includes built-in controls similar to those on iPhone and iPad.

What to set up:

Create a standard user account for the senior
Limit administrator access to a trusted caregiver
Open System Settings and enable Screen Time
Restrict app installs and system changes
Keep built-in malware and phishing protections enabled

Simple digital guardrails can reduce risk while allowing seniors to keep their devices and independence. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why this helps: It prevents fake software updates and malicious downloads from installing.

10) Best practices for all devices

Use alert-only or limited-control settings whenever possible
Review settings together so expectations are clear
Avoid tools that feel invasive or confusing
Focus on blocking harm, not monitoring behavior

This is not about spying. It is about adding digital seatbelts while preserving independence. When used respectfully, these tools reduce risk without changing daily habits.

Pro Tip: Use a secure email service for added privacy

For families looking to go a step further, switching to a secure email service can significantly reduce scam exposure. Privacy-focused email providers are designed to limit tracking, block hidden tracking pixels, and reduce how much data advertisers or scammers can collect from inbox activity. Many secure email services also offer disposable or alias email addresses for one-time signups. If an alias starts receiving spam or scam messages, it can be disabled without affecting the main email account. This makes it easier to keep a primary email address private and limit long-term exposure. Secure email platforms typically include features like encrypted messages, no advertising and stronger privacy controls. While switching email providers is optional, it can be a useful upgrade for seniors who receive large volumes of spam or have been repeatedly targeted by scams.

Why it matters: Less tracking means fewer scam attempts. Aliases reduce how often personal email addresses are exposed, without changing daily habits.

For recommendations on private and secure email providers that offer alias addresses, visit Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Protecting seniors online is not about control. It is about prevention. Email scams are designed to exploit trust and urgency, especially in people who did not grow up with digital threats. Smart guardrails protect independence while preventing irreversible mistakes. If email and banking are today’s car keys, families need modern safety features to go with them.

If your parent clicked a scam email right now, would you know before the money was gone? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Musk says he’s going to open-source the new X algorithm next week

Published

15 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Musk says he’s going to open-source the new X algorithm next week

In 2023, what was then still called Twitter, open-sourced at least portions of the code that decided what it served up in your feed. But that GitHub repository is hopelessly out of date, with the vast majority of the files appearing to be from the initial upload three years ago. Elon Musk says that in seven days, he will open-source X’s new algorithm and finally give people a peek behind the curtain and possibly a technical explanation as to why your feed is 90 percent rage bait.

Elon has always made promises to open-source parts of X, and has followed through to at least some degree, including Grok-1 in 2024. But xAI is now on Grok-3, and the Grok GitHub repository hasn’t been updated in two years. The timing of the announcement open-sourcing the X algorithm is also likely to be met with some suspicion, as Musk is fending off criticism from across the globe and the political spectrum regarding Grok’s willingness to make deepfake nudes.

Musk says this release of the X algorithm will include “all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users.” He also says this will be just the first, with updates coming every four weeks, and that those will include developer notes highlighting any changes. Of course, considering how things played out in 2023, you’ll have to forgive us for taking that promise with a grain of salt.