DOGE’s USDS Purge Included the Guy Who Keeps Veterans’ Data Safe Online

When the so-called Department of Government Efficiency recently fired dozens of people from the US Digital Service—the agency DOGE subsumed last month—it may not have realized the extent of the collateral damage. The USDS doesn't operate in a vacuum; part of its longtime mandate is to consult with federal agencies to help improve their digital platforms and websites. So when DOGE terminated Jonathan Kamens in its agency purge, it may not have fully grasped that it was firing the security lead for the Department of Veterans Affairs website—the digital hub that connects veterans with their benefits and hosts sensitive personal data, including medical records. Interviews with multiple current and former VA sources, along with veterans who now work in private-sector cybersecurity, indicate that Kamens’ firing could have disastrous privacy consequences for millions of US veterans. “I believe that his abrupt firing puts the security of veterans services at risk,” one source with knowledge ... Read full article.