Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Federal workers turn to encryption to thwart Trump
Political ^ | 2 Feb 2017 | ANDREW RESTUCCIA, MARIANNE LEVINE and NAHAL TOOSI

Posted on 02/03/2017 9:19:59 AM PST by shove_it

Federal employees worried that President Donald Trump will gut their agencies are creating new email addresses, signing up for encrypted messaging apps and looking for other, protected ways to push back against the new administration’s agenda.

Whether inside the Environmental Protection Agency, within the Foreign Service, on the edges of the Labor Department or beyond, employees are using new technology as well as more old-fashioned approaches — such as private face-to-face meetings — to organize letters, talk strategy, or contact media outlets and other groups to express their dissent.

The goal is to get their message across while not violating any rules covering workplace communications, which can be monitored by the government and could potentially get them fired.

At the EPA, a small group of career employees — numbering less than a dozen so far — are using an encrypted messaging app to discuss what to do if Trump’s political appointees undermine their agency’s mission to protect public health and the environment, flout the law, or delete valuable scientific data that the agency has been collecting for years, sources told POLITICO.

Fearing for their jobs, the employees began communicating incognito using the app Signal shortly after Trump’s inauguration. Signal, like WhatsApp and other mobile phone software, encrypts all communications, making it more difficult for hackers to gain access to them...

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Politics
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-77 next last
To: stylin19a

NSA? Yep, bad actors in this agency are probably the ones leaking transcripts of Trump’s calls with foreign leaders to the media!


41 posted on 02/03/2017 9:49:01 AM PST by CivilWarBrewing (Females DESTROYED America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Tallguy

Correct. When I worked at NASA we were told no phone calls, no email, no text on devices. Even our personal written daily journals for work tasks, findings, directions, to do lists were all subject to FOIA.

Any matter that needed to be handles ‘sensitively’ was handled in person with no written record unless deemed needing to be elevated.


42 posted on 02/03/2017 9:49:48 AM PST by EBH (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: shove_it

They are violating govt refs by doing this. Fire them all


43 posted on 02/03/2017 9:50:26 AM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Misappropriation of funds in any case: you can’t use government equipment for unauthorized activity.


44 posted on 02/03/2017 9:51:11 AM PST by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Lurkinanloomin

Lay-off by seniority until the last Obama hire is gone.


45 posted on 02/03/2017 9:51:52 AM PST by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: shove_it
I think President Trump should start with a broad brush, then work down to the fine details.

First, fire everyone who has downloaded porn on their government computer. Apparently, this is a large number. If they still resist, move the agency out of D.C. to a red state, non-capital city.

As for the EPA, require all regulations to be based upon peer reviewed science with all data produced available to the public.

46 posted on 02/03/2017 9:53:22 AM PST by Vince Ferrer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EBH
They serve at the pleasure of the President, no?

no ... most are civil service workers and protected by government unions ... that's the real problem

47 posted on 02/03/2017 9:53:56 AM PST by TheRightGuy (I want MY BAILOUT ... a billion or two should do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: TheRightGuy

no ... most are civil service workers and protected by government unions ... that’s the real problem

And, government unions are allowed by Executive Order not law.


48 posted on 02/03/2017 9:55:16 AM PST by JayAr36 (ISLAM IS NOT A RELIGION! It is a Theocracy determined to over throw America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: dgbrown
First make it illegal to perform Govt business on personal devices,

It already is illegal. The trick is proving what they are doing ID government business. They will use code talk like the Mafia.

49 posted on 02/03/2017 9:57:19 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: JayAr36

And I recall Reagan breaking the air traffic controllers union....


50 posted on 02/03/2017 10:02:55 AM PST by EBH (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: shove_it

Totally illegal. Against the public records act.


51 posted on 02/03/2017 10:03:07 AM PST by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shove_it

Feds sign forms stating that they understand that they cannot expect anything they do on government systems to be private. They also sign forms stating that they will not perform government work on unauthorized systems.


52 posted on 02/03/2017 10:03:33 AM PST by Interesting Times (WinterSoldier.com. SwiftVets.com. ToSetTheRecordStraight.com.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mrsmith

Thanks for adding that link and your comments. These traitors are following Hitlery’s precedent and consider themselves immune to prosecution.


53 posted on 02/03/2017 10:03:42 AM PST by shove_it (The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen -- Dennis Prager)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: shove_it

Which essentially they are.

Prosecution can only happen as long as their employed. Once ‘fired’ apparently there is a loop hole that keeps them from being held accountable. Nice, uh?

The Federal Records Act, if violated in this way, does allow action to be taken against a government employee– but only administrative action. Both Clinton and Powell are not in office, so they can’t be punished. As for the Freedom of Information Act, there are sanctions provided under (a)(4)(F)(1), but again, those penalties only apply to someone who is still working for the federal government. http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/everyone-is-missing-the-most-troubling-part-of-hillary-clinton-email-audit/


54 posted on 02/03/2017 10:06:52 AM PST by EBH (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: shove_it

They’re not doing government business and they’re not using government resources.
Everybody is missing that (the article is unclear).

“following Hitlery’s precedent “... they’re going twice as far as her to thwart the law. Using private devices AND using their private time.


55 posted on 02/03/2017 10:14:58 AM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Fiddlstix

Remember the Air Traffic Controllers!


56 posted on 02/03/2017 10:16:29 AM PST by Quality_Not_Quantity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: EBH

Thanks for clearing that up - so POTUS Trump can’t prosecute Hillary now that she’s off the Federal payroll?


57 posted on 02/03/2017 10:17:26 AM PST by shove_it (The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen -- Dennis Prager)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Chances are, they’re using some sort of commercial application. Which likely has a backdoor, and the NSA has the keys.

And ALL traffic over Federal Networks and devices is subject to monitoring at any time and for any reason. . .


58 posted on 02/03/2017 10:18:21 AM PST by Salgak (You're in Strange Hands with Tom Stranger. . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SolidRedState

Nobody in the private sector will hire them and they all know that. That’s why the work for the feds.


59 posted on 02/03/2017 10:20:25 AM PST by Roger Kaputnik (Just because I'm paranoid doesn't prove that they aren't out to get me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: dgbrown
Then lock down the govt equipment, only allow encryption that is supplied by the govt.

It is already a major bozo no-no to install any unauthorized software onto a gov computer or devise. Its a complete breach of security and policy and can and should get you removed.

As I remember if you attempted to download and install any kind of software you would get a warning that you lack administrative privileges and the IT department would soon be talking to you.

60 posted on 02/03/2017 10:32:31 AM PST by usurper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-77 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson