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Elon Musk’s goons at the Department of Government Efficiency transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House, according to a new report.
Starlink is a satellite Wi-Fi service owned and operated by Musk’s SpaceX. The DOGE goons installed it in mid-March with the sign-off of Donald Trump’s administration, but against concerns raised by security officials, according to The Washington Post.
The officials in charge of protecting the White House’s communications were not informed of the installation ahead of time, insiders told the Post.
At the time, DOGE said installing Starlink was intended to address connection “dead zones” on the White House compound.
Musk’s goons set up a Starlink wifi terminal at the White House. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
However, the insiders suggested that the move was intended to bypass White House systems that track the transmission of data—with names and time stamps—and secure it from spies.
“Starlink doesn’t require anything. It allows you to transmit data without any kind of record or tracking,” one insider told the Post. “White House IT systems had very strong controls on network access. You had to be on a full-tunnel VPN at all times. If you are not on the VPN, White House-issued devices can’t connect to the outside.”
“With a Starlink connection, that means White House devices could leave the network and go out through gateways,“ the person said. “It’s going to help you bypass security.”
Musk and his goons drew fire for accessing sensitive government data systems. / Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The White House did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, told the Post, “We were aware of DOGE’s intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach.”
Before Musk departed the government—and blew up his relationship with Trump—he was busy laying siege to sensitive government databases, including the one that handles Social Security, sparking concerns from critics.
In April, a whistleblower at the National Labor Relations Board accused the Musk-led department of a “significant cybersecurity breach.” Daniel Berulis, an IT staffer, said he saw anomalously large data transfers and sign-in attempts from Russia after DOGE took over his agency’s systems.
In that case, the DOGE staffers insisted that their actions in the system not be tracked.
While Trump and the rest of his administration supported Musk against critics while he sought to slash government jobs and budgets on Trump’s behalf, the two have now suffered a nasty, mud-slinging breakup.
Even as the battle between the two billionaires continues, the Post reported that guests to the White House still see a listing for “Starlink Guest” on their phones.
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Sun, June 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM CDT
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The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly ignored advice from IT teams by installing Starlink at the White House earlier this year.
The Washington Post reports that those with authority over White House communications systems were not informed in advance when DOGE representatives installed a Starlink terminal on the roof of the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
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Improperly configured Wi-Fi networks can pose a serious cybersecurity risk to organizations, enabling people outside the organization to log into the Wi-Fi network in a worst-case scenario.
The Post’s anonymous sources claimed that White House staff managing the systems could not monitor the Starlink connection to prevent the leakage of sensitive information or unauthorized access. Its sources allege that a Wi-Fi network called “Starlink Guest” appeared on White House phones in February, prompting users only for a password, not a username or a second form of authentication. This Wi-Fi network was reportedly still present on White House visitors’ phones this week.
The sources couldn’t say whether the Starlink rooftop terminal is still installed or what will happen to the technology following Elon Musk's departure from the Trump administration.
SpaceX has yet to offer an official comment on the reports, but Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said: “We were aware of DOGE’s intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach.”
The report comes as more government organizations are looking to protect themselves against the potential risks of relying too heavily on SpaceX's technology. The Post reported earlier this week that NASA and the Pentagon have urged SpaceX competitors to speed up their development of alternative rockets and spacecraft, amid the ongoing feud between Musk and President Trump.
Musk’s DOGE Goons Surreptitiously Transmitted Reams of White House Data
Elon Musk’s goons at the Department of Government Efficiency transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House, according to a new report. Starlink is a satellite Wi-Fi service owned and operated by Musk’s SpaceX. The...
Elon Musk’s goons at the Department of Government Efficiency transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House, according to a new report.
Starlink is a satellite Wi-Fi service owned and operated by Musk’s SpaceX. The DOGE goons installed it in mid-March with the sign-off of Donald Trump’s administration, but against concerns raised by security officials, according to The Washington Post.
The officials in charge of protecting the White House’s communications were not informed of the installation ahead of time, insiders told the Post.
At the time, DOGE said installing Starlink was intended to address connection “dead zones” on the White House compound.
Musk’s goons set up a Starlink wifi terminal at the White House. / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
However, the insiders suggested that the move was intended to bypass White House systems that track the transmission of data—with names and time stamps—and secure it from spies.
“Starlink doesn’t require anything. It allows you to transmit data without any kind of record or tracking,” one insider told the Post. “White House IT systems had very strong controls on network access. You had to be on a full-tunnel VPN at all times. If you are not on the VPN, White House-issued devices can’t connect to the outside.”
“With a Starlink connection, that means White House devices could leave the network and go out through gateways,“ the person said. “It’s going to help you bypass security.”
Musk and his goons drew fire for accessing sensitive government data systems. / Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The White House did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, told the Post, “We were aware of DOGE’s intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach.”
Before Musk departed the government—and blew up his relationship with Trump—he was busy laying siege to sensitive government databases, including the one that handles Social Security, sparking concerns from critics.
More in Politics
In April, a whistleblower at the National Labor Relations Board accused the Musk-led department of a “significant cybersecurity breach.” Daniel Berulis, an IT staffer, said he saw anomalously large data transfers and sign-in attempts from Russia after DOGE took over his agency’s systems.
In that case, the DOGE staffers insisted that their actions in the system not be tracked.
While Trump and the rest of his administration supported Musk against critics while he sought to slash government jobs and budgets on Trump’s behalf, the two have now suffered a nasty, mud-slinging breakup.
Even as the battle between the two billionaires continues, the Post reported that guests to the White House still see a listing for “Starlink Guest” on their phones.
Up next
Report: Trump Administration Ignored Advice When Installing Starlink at the White House
PC MagSun, June 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM CDT
2 min read
13
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.
The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly ignored advice from IT teams by installing Starlink at the White House earlier this year.
The Washington Post reports that those with authority over White House communications systems were not informed in advance when DOGE representatives installed a Starlink terminal on the roof of the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Advertisement
Improperly configured Wi-Fi networks can pose a serious cybersecurity risk to organizations, enabling people outside the organization to log into the Wi-Fi network in a worst-case scenario.
The Post’s anonymous sources claimed that White House staff managing the systems could not monitor the Starlink connection to prevent the leakage of sensitive information or unauthorized access. Its sources allege that a Wi-Fi network called “Starlink Guest” appeared on White House phones in February, prompting users only for a password, not a username or a second form of authentication. This Wi-Fi network was reportedly still present on White House visitors’ phones this week.
The sources couldn’t say whether the Starlink rooftop terminal is still installed or what will happen to the technology following Elon Musk's departure from the Trump administration.
SpaceX has yet to offer an official comment on the reports, but Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said: “We were aware of DOGE’s intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach.”
The report comes as more government organizations are looking to protect themselves against the potential risks of relying too heavily on SpaceX's technology. The Post reported earlier this week that NASA and the Pentagon have urged SpaceX competitors to speed up their development of alternative rockets and spacecraft, amid the ongoing feud between Musk and President Trump.
