How DOGE and ‘Big Balls’ Coristine Breached a Federal Payroll System
▼ Summary
– Edward “Big Balls” Coristine and Donald Park, operatives of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), gained extensive access to Small Business Administration (SBA) systems, including the sensitive National Finance Center (NFC).
– DOGE operatives accessed NFC systems handling HR and payroll for agencies like the DOJ, DHS, and FBI, a previously unreported breach.
– Coristine, a 19-year-old former GSA employee, and Park were granted SBA system access within five hours of a request, including core financial and loan systems.
– Internal emails reveal urgent directives to grant Coristine and Park admin access to all SBA systems, prioritizing HR and contract data.
– The access was approved swiftly, with SBA officials coordinating the process, though none responded to requests for comment.
A startling breach of federal payroll systems unfolded earlier this year when two operatives linked to Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained sweeping access to sensitive government networks. Among them was Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old known online as “Big Balls,” whose rapid infiltration into the Small Business Administration (SBA) later extended to the National Finance Center (NFC), a critical hub handling payroll and HR data for agencies like the FBI, DOJ, and DHS.
Newly uncovered documents reveal the astonishing speed at which Coristine and his associate, Donald Park, bypassed security protocols. Within hours of a request from the SBA’s IT office, the pair were granted administrative privileges to financial and loan systems. Coristine’s access soon expanded beyond the SBA, reaching NFC databases without proper authorization, a lapse that raises serious concerns about federal cybersecurity oversight.
The chain of events began on February 3 when Stephen Kucharski, an SBA director, urgently emailed colleagues demanding immediate system access for the DOGE operatives. His message stressed the need for unfettered entry to HR and contracting systems, including “detailed data on all active procurements.” Minutes later, Elias Hernandez, another SBA official, escalated the request to the NFC’s director, Michael Jackson, under the subject line “URGENT REQUEST FROM SBA!”
Coristine’s background adds another layer of intrigue. Before joining DOGE, he was reportedly dismissed from an internship at a cybersecurity firm known for recruiting former hackers. His rapid transition from a GSA employee to a special government role at the Social Security Administration, while simultaneously accessing NFC data, highlights glaring vulnerabilities in federal hiring and access controls. Neither Coristine nor Park responded to requests for comment, leaving unanswered questions about the extent of their activities.
The incident underscores broader risks when untested personnel gain unchecked access to critical infrastructure. With federal systems housing sensitive employee and financial data, the implications of such breaches extend far beyond bureaucratic oversight, potentially compromising national security. As investigations continue, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the need for tighter safeguards against insider threats and unauthorized system infiltration.
(Source: Wired)
