A 23-year-old former SpaceX intern, Luke Farritor, was granted access to the U.S. Energy Department’s IT system—despite lacking the required security clearance and background check, according to CNN. The decision, approved by Trump loyalist Energy Secretary Chris Wright, was made over strong objections from cybersecurity officials, raising major concerns about government security protocols.
According to sources familiar with the situation, members of the Energy Department’s general counsel and chief information offices strongly opposed the move. They argued that Farritor had not undergone the necessary security investigations required to access government IT systems.
“He’s not cleared to be in DOE, on our systems. None of those things have been done,” a source told CNN.
Despite these concerns, Wright pushed forward, granting Farritor access to basic IT functions such as email and Microsoft 365. While the department’s chief information office does not control IT systems for nuclear weapons labs, it does provide connectivity and internet services for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) headquarters.
Adding to the controversy, sources revealed that there are plans to install a SpaceX network security engineer as the Energy Department’s new chief information officer. This move, if confirmed, would further solidify Musk’s influence in key government sectors, particularly in cybersecurity.
The Energy Department has not issued an official comment on the situation.
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