Up First from NPR A Whistleblower Takes on DOGE
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Apr 27, 2025 
Jenna McLaughlin, NPR's cybersecurity correspondent, and Stephen Fowler, a federal restructuring expert, delve into alarming revelations by whistleblower Daniel Berulis from the National Labor Relations Board. They discuss unauthorized access to sensitive data by DOGE representatives who allegedly disabled security protocols. The conversation highlights the potential risks for millions of Americans regarding their private information and the urgent need for enhanced transparency and accountability within federal agencies amidst escalating cybersecurity threats.
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Whistleblower's Background and Alarm
- Daniel Berulis discovered Doge engineers accessed the NLRB cloud without logging their activity.
- His background as a cybersecurity expert fueled his alarm after seeing their covert actions.
Significance of Logging in Cybersecurity
- Not logging access when using high-level accounts is highly unusual and raises significant red flags.
- Logging is essential for troubleshooting and detecting cybersecurity threats, according to experts.
Discovery of Suspicious Backdoor Tool
- Berulis discovered a Doge engineer's project named NXGen BDoor Extract on GitHub, implying a backdoor to extract data.
- This discovery triggered his panic due to possible unauthorized data access.