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How ticket-splitting voters could shape the 2026 midterms

Written by Ian Anson, associate professor of political science, UMBC

With the 2024 U.S. election over and done with, political analysts and both major parties are already turning their attention to the upcoming midterm elections in 2026.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats will be up for grabs. The Democrats are as desperate to retake control of Congress as Republicans are to keep it. A Democratic-controlled Congress in 2026 would do everything in its power to halt President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda in its tracks.

To edge out their opponent, candidates in highly competitive districts will have to win over some voters who rejected their own party’s presidential candidate in 2024. Democratic candidates will need to get support from at least some Trump voters; Republicans will need some support from Kamala Harris voters.

Despite the intensely polarized U.S. political environment, a significant number of Americans routinely cross party lines to support both Democratic and Republican candidates at the polls. When it happens on the same ballot, this is called ticket-splitting.

Just who are these voters, and when do they choose to split their tickets?

I am a political scientist who studies American voting behavior. I see these questions as key to understanding how long Trump’s total control of government will last.

Split tickets in North Carolina and Arizona

Ticket-splitting created some surprising election returns in 2024, mostly benefiting down-ballot Democrats.

For instance, Republican Donald Trump won North Carolina by around 3 percentage points, but voters elected a Democrat, Josh Stein, for governor by a margin of almost 15 percentage points. Several hundred thousand North Carolinians split their tickets to produce this outcome.

More than 100,000 Arizonans likewise split their tickets in 2024, electing Trump with 52% of the vote, yet rejecting the Trump-aligned Senate candidate Kari Lake in favor of Democrat Ruben Gallego.

Many experts believe that candidates such as Gallego and Stein were simply perceived as less extreme than their opponents, and so they lured moderate voters and even some Republicans.

In this theory, extreme MAGA-aligned candidates win primary elections because they attract the most partisan voters. But they turn off many people in the general electorate.

Marylanders split their tickets

One of the most extreme examples of ticket-splitting in 2024 was in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland.

Voters in a school gym. ticket-splitting voters
Partyliners or ticket-splitters? Maryland voters cast their ballots in Baltimore on Nov. 5, 2024. J. Countess/Getty Images

Cardin was a retiring three-term Democrat who had last won reelection in 2018 by an astronomical margin of over 34 percentage points. Initially, many expert analysts saw the seat as safe for Democrats.

Then, in February 2024, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who had previously ruled out a Senate run, surprised political analysts by entering the Republican primary. After winning the primary handily, Hogan eventually squared off against Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, in the general election.

Suddenly, a matchup that should have been Alsobrook’s to lose got competitive.

A politician wearing a dark blue suit raises her arms in victory with supporters holding neon yellow signs in the background. ticket-splitting voters
Angela Alsobrooks celebrates her win on Nov. 5, 2024, in College Park, Md. Graeme Sloan for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Hogan, who left office in 2023, was a successful Republican governor who won election twice in reliably blue Maryland. Perceived by many voters as an ideological moderate, he was also a vocal Trump opponent in a state that supported Biden over Trump in 2020 by around 33 percentage points. During his governorship, Hogan routinely outperformed MAGA-aligned Republicans who ran for Congress in Maryland.

Ultimately, Hogan did lose to Alsobrooks. She became Maryland’s first female U.S. senator and first Black U.S. senator. Yet Hogan came an incredible 17 percentage points closer to winning than Trump did. Kamala Harris beat Trump by 1.9 million votes, winning 63% of the electorate to Trump’s 34%.

This means that Hogan exceeded Trump’s vote total by over 300,000 votes. That’s an immense amount of ticket-splitting by Marylanders in 2024.

Who are the Hogan Democrats?

To better understand ticket-splitting in Maryland’s 2024 election, I analyzed a survey that my university conducted in Baltimore County. Baltimore County is a bellwether county that has backed the winning gubernatorial candidate in every election since 2006.

The UMBC Battleground Exit Poll surveyed 1,119 voters at election precincts across Baltimore County during early voting and on Election Day 2024. The results were weighted to ensure demographic representativeness.

This extensive survey shows that around 10% of all voters in Baltimore County supported the surprising combination of the Democrat Harris and the Republican Hogan.

In contrast, fewer than 2% of Trump voters split their tickets to back the Democratic Senate candidate Alsobrooks.

A purple, blue, red, and green bar graph breaking down 2024 Maryland ticket-splitting voters

My team’s data analysis shows that roughly half of Harris-Hogan voters – 51% – were Democrats. These ticket-splitters included a higher percentage of white voters than the Democrats who supported both Harris and Alsobrooks. Around 37% of Harris-Hogan voters identified as Black, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or another nonwhite racial category, compared with 55% of Harris-Alsobrooks voters.

We found virtually no gender differences between Democrats who split their tickets to back a woman for president and a man for Senate and those who backed two women candidates.

Harris-Hogan Democrats tended to be better educated than other voting groups. Around 68% reported having a college degree, compared with around 51% of all survey respondents.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Harris-Hogan voters is their self-declared moderation.

On a seven-point ideological scale ranging from “very liberal” to “very conservative,” around 61% of Harris-Hogan ticket-splitters put themselves at the exact midpoint of the scale. Only around 42% of the full sample of Maryland voters categorized themselves as centrist.

Can moderates survive in Trump’s shadow?

As our study shows, Hogan’s popularity in Maryland is due in part to his appeal among moderates. This finding helps to explain how this Republican has remained popular among Democrats and independent voters.

However, Hogan still lost. Unlike in Arizona, where the Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego won by wooing moderate Republicans, the tenuous balance of power in the U.S. House and Senate may have prevented some Democratic and independent voters in Maryland from crossing the aisle to support a moderate Republican.

Of course, Hogan also faced a formidable opponent. Alsobrooks had already emerged victorious in a tight primary against a well-funded and popular incumbent U.S. House representative, David Trone. I suspect a less-skilled Democratic candidate would have created even more Harris-Hogan voters.

Ultimately, my analysis of ticket-splitting in 2024 reveals that even in an era of entrenched polarization, many voters approach congressional and presidential races with different mindsets.

This dynamic will likely influence the next election cycle, too.

The party of the president often takes heavy losses in midterm elections. In 2026, congressional candidates – and Democrats in particular – will be doing everything they can to woo moderates.

This will be especially true if Trump’s aggressive policies, such as widespread government layoffs and mass deportations, prove unpopular.

Let the campaigning begin.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 250 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.

A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities

Written by John Rennie Short, professor emeritus of public policy, UMBC

Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. cities are still adjusting to a new normal, with more people working remotely and less economic activity in city centers. Other factors, such as underfunded pension plans for municipal employees, are pushing many city budgets into the red.

Urban fiscal struggles are not new, but historically they have mainly affected U.S. cities that are small, poor or saddled with incompetent managers. Today, however, even large cities, including Chicago, Houston and San Francisco, are under serious financial stress.

This is a looming nationwide threat, driven by factors that include climate change, declining downtown activity, loss of federal funds and large pension and retirement commitments.

Why cities struggle

Many U.S. cities have faced fiscal crises over the past century, for diverse reasons. Most commonly, stress occurs after an economic downturn or sharp fall in tax revenues.

Florida municipalities began to default in 1926 after the collapse of a land boom. Municipal defaults were common across the nation in the 1930s during the Great Depression: As unemployment rose, relief burdens swelled and tax collections dwindled.

A tabloid newspaper with a photo of President Gerald Ford and the headline 'Ford to City: Drop Dead' fiscal crisis
The New York Daily News, Oct. 30, 1975, after U.S. President Gerald Ford ruled out providing federal aid to save the city from bankruptcy. Several months later, Ford signed legislation authorizing federal loans. Edward Stojakovic/Flickr, CC BY

In 1934 Congress amended the U.S. bankruptcy code to allow municipalities to file formally for bankruptcy. Subsequently, 27 states enacted laws that authorized cities to become debtors and seek bankruptcy protection.

Declaring bankruptcy was not a cure-all. It allowed cities to refinance debt or stretch out payment schedules, but it also could lead to higher taxes and fees for residents, and lower pay and benefits for city employees. And it could stigmatize a city for many years afterward.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many urban residents and businesses left cities for adjoining suburbs. Many cities, including New York, Cleveland and Philadelphia, found it difficult to repay debts as their tax bases shrank.

In the wake of the 2008-2009 housing market collapse, cities including Detroit, San Bernardino, California, and Stockton, California, filed for bankruptcy. Other cities faced similar difficulties but were located in states that did not allow municipalities to declare bankruptcy.

Even large, affluent jurisdictions could go off the financial rails. For example, Orange County, California, went bankrupt in 2002 after its treasurer, Robert Citron, pursued a risky investment strategy of complex leveraging deals, losing some $1.65 billion in taxpayer funds.

Today, cities face a convergence of rising costs and decreasing revenues in many places. As I see it, the urban fiscal crisis is now a pervasive national challenge.

Climate-driven disasters

Climate change and its attendant increase in major disasters are putting financial pressure on municipalities across the country.

Events like wildfires and flooding have twofold effects on city finances. First, money has to be spent on rebuilding damaged infrastructure, such as roads, water lines and public buildings. Second, after the disaster, cities may either act on their own or be required under state or federal law to make expensive investments in preparation for the next storm or wildfire.

A woman speaks into microphones, with burned homes in the background. fiscal crisis
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (center) discusses wildfire recovery in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Jan. 27, 2025. Cleaning up after the wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 structures, will include disposing of several million tons of toxic ash and debris. Drew A. Kelley/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

In Houston, for example, court rulings after multiple years of severe flooding are forcing the city to spend $100 million on street repairs and drainage by mid-2025. This requirement will expand the deficit in Houston’s annual budget to $330 million.

In Massachusetts, towns on Cape Cod are spending millions of dollars to switch from septic systems to public sewer lines and upgrade wastewater treatment plants. Population growth has sharply increased water pollution on the Cape, and climate change is promoting blooms of toxic algae that feed on nutrients in wastewater.

Increasing uncertainty about the total costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change will inevitably lead rating agencies to downgrade municipal credit ratings. This raises cities’ costs to borrow money for climate-related projects like protecting shorelines and improving wastewater treatment.

Underfunded pensions

Cities also spend a lot of money on employees, and many large cities are struggling to fund pensions and health benefits for their workforces. As municipal retirees live longer and require more health care, the costs are mounting.

For example, Chicago currently faces a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion, which stems partly from underfunded retirement benefits for nearly 30,000 public employees. The city has $35 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and almost $2 billion in unfunded retiree health benefits. Chicago’s teachers are owed $14 billion in unfunded benefits.

Policy studies have shown for years that politicians tend to underfund retirement and pension benefits for public employees. This approach offloads the real cost of providing police, fire protection and education onto future taxpayers.

Struggling downtowns and less federal support

Cities aren’t just facing rising costs – they’re also losing revenues. In many U.S. cities, retail and commercial office economies are declining. Developers have overbuilt commercial properties, creating an excess supply. More unleased properties will mean lower tax revenues.

At the same time, pandemic-related federal aid that cushioned municipal finances from 2020 through 2024 is dwindling.

State and local governments received $150 billion through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and an additional $130 billion through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. Now, however, this federal largesse – which some cities used to fill mounting fiscal cracks – is at an end.

In my view, President Donald Trump’s administration is highly unlikely to bail out urban areas – especially more liberal cities like Detroit, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Trump has portrayed large cities governed by Democrats in the darkest terms – for example, calling Baltimore a “rodent-infested mess” and Washington, D.C., a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap.” I expect that Trump’s animus against big cities, which was a staple of his 2024 campaign, could become a hallmark of his second term.

Resistance to new taxes

Cities can generate revenue from taxes on sales, businesses, property and utilities. However, increasing municipal taxes – particularly property taxes – can be very difficult.

In 1978, California adopted Proposition 13 – a ballot measure that limited property tax increases to the rate of inflation or 2% per year, whichever is lower. This high-profile campaign created a widespread narrative that property taxes were out of control and made it very hard for local officials to support property tax increases.

Thanks to caps like Prop 13, a persistent public view that taxes are too high and political resistance, property taxes have tended to lag behind inflation in many parts of the country.

The crunch

A man carries sandbags from a warehouse to people waiting in cars
Workers in North Miami Beach, Fla., distribute sandbags to residents to help prevent flooding as Hurricane Milton approaches the state on Oct. 8, 2024. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Taking these factors together, I see a fiscal crunch coming for U.S. cities. Small cities with low budgets are particularly vulnerable. But so are larger, more affluent cities, such as San Francisco with its collapsing downtown office market, or Houston, New York and Miami, which face growing costs from climate change.

One city manager who runs an affluent municipality in the Pacific Northwest told me that in these difficult circumstances, politicians need to be more frank and open with their constituents and explain convincingly and compellingly how and why taxpayer money is being spent.

Efforts to balance city budgets are opportunities to build consensus with the public about what municipalities can do, and at what cost. The coming months will show whether politicians and city residents are ready for these hard conversations.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 250 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.

Meet a Retriever—Rylee Kennedy ’21, Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader

Meet Rylee Kennedy ’21, geography and environmental studies. By day, Rylee works as a marketing coordinator at Vanguard Building Solutions. However, it’s when she clocks out that the real fun begins. You see, Rylee is also an NFL Cheerleader for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Take it away, Rylee!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: My name is Rylee, and I graduated in 2021 with a B.A. in geography and environmental studies. I transferred to UMBC my sophomore year and decided to try out for the UMBC Dance Team. I remember practicing in the RAC every day and asking dancers on the team for help leading up to the auditions—I was so nervous! Making the team was one of the best things to have ever happened to me. I met some of my best friends on that team and was able to grow a lot as a person and a dancer. During COVID, having virtual practices kept my sense of community during uncertain times. 

“
My favorite part of being a part of Retriever Nation is the lasting bond that forms when you join the community.

Rylee Kennedy '21

geography and environmental studies

After college, I knew I wanted to continue dancing, and decided to aim for the National Football League. This is my second season as a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader, and having the opportunity to follow the Eagles during a historic season has been the best experience a cheerleader could ask for. 

Rylee Kennedy on her UMBC graduation day in 2021.
Rylee Kennedy on her UMBC graduation day in 2021.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: I would not be living my dreams if it weren’t for the amazing coaches and teammates I have had who have pushed me to be a better dancer and professional. By surrounding yourself with those of strong character, you can be inspired to push yourself beyond what you ever thought was imaginable. My teammates encouraged me to try out to be an NFL cheerleader, and my coaches honed my abilities and gave me space to grow. They inspired me then, and they continue to inspire me now as they pursue their careers and continue to express themselves through dance.

Rylee Kennedy and some of her teammates on the UMBC Dance Team.
Rylee Kennedy and some of her teammates on the UMBC Dance Team.

Q: What do you like most about being a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader?

A: This season, I was able to go on a ProTour Military Tour. On tour, I, along with 11 other cheerleaders from five different teams, visited our servicemen and women on base and brought a piece of home to them. When the Eagles flew to New Orleans, I flew to O’ahu, Hawai’i, and spent the big game watching with our military! During my 12 days there, we held cheer clinics for the children of our servicemembers, read to children at school, experienced life as an airman/sailor by testing simulators and touring a C-17, and paid our respects to those tragically lost on December 7 at the Pearl Harbor Memorial.

Rylee Kennedy and other NFL cheerleaders posing with members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Rylee Kennedy and other NFL cheerleaders reading to school students.

Left, Rylee Kennedy and other NFL cheerleaders posing with members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Right, Rylee Kennedy and other NFL cheerleaders reading to school students.

We wrapped our trip up with a Super Bowl watch party on base, and so many people were surprised to see an Eagles cheerleader in Hawai’i instead of in the Superdome. I am so thankful for the amazing people I met, the stories I have heard, and the experiences I had during my tour. To me, there was no better way to spend the Super Bowl than with those who are giving the ultimate sacrifice. UMBC instilled a sense of community, empathy, and selflessness that I continue to pay forward to this day.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

If FEMA didn’t exist, could states handle the disaster response alone?

Written by Ming Xie, assistant professor of emergency health management and public health systems, UMBC.

Imagine a world in which a hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. has no federal agency prepared to quickly send supplies, financial aid and temporary housing assistance.

Could the states manage this catastrophic event on their own?

Normally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, is prepared to marshal supplies within hours of a disaster and begin distributing financial aid to residents who need help.

However, with President Donald Trump questioning FEMA’s future and suggesting states take over recovery instead, and climate change causing more frequent and severe disasters, it’s worth asking how prepared states are to face these growing challenges without help.

What FEMA does

FEMA was created in 1979 with the job of coordinating national responses to disasters, but the federal government has played important roles in disaster relief since the 1800s.

During a disaster, FEMA’s assistance can begin only after a state requests an emergency declaration and the U.S. president approves it. The request has to show that the disaster is so severe that the state can’t handle the response on its own.

FEMA’s role is to support state and local governments by coordinating federal agencies and providing financial aid and recovery assistance that states would otherwise struggle to supply on their own. FEMA doesn’t “take over,” as a misinformation campaign launched during Hurricane Helene claimed. Instead, it pools federal resources to allow states to recover faster from expensive disasters.

During a disaster, FEMA:

  • Coordinates federal resources. For example, during Hurricane Ian in 2022, FEMA coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and search-and-rescue teams to conduct rescue operations, organized utility crews to begin restoring power and also delivered water and millions of meals.
  • Provides financial assistance. FEMA distributes billions of dollars in disaster relief funds to help individuals, businesses and local governments recover. As of Feb. 3, 2025, FEMA aid from 2024 storms included US$1.04 billion related to Hurricane Milton, $416.1 million for Hurricane Helene and $112.6 million for Hurricane Debby.
  • Provides logistical support. FEMA coordinates with state and local governments, nonprofits such as the American Red Cross and federal agencies to supply cots, blankets and hygiene supplies for emergency shelters. It also works with state and local partners to distribute critical supplies such as food, water and medical aid.

The agency also manages the National Flood Insurance Program, offers disaster preparedness training and helps states develop response plans to improve their overall responses systems.

What FEMA aid looks like in a disaster

When wildfires swept through Maui, Hawaii, in August 2023, FEMA provided emergency grants to cover immediate needs such as food, clothing and essential supplies for survivors.

The agency arranged hotel rooms, rental assistance and financial aid for residents who lost homes or belongings. Its Direct Housing Program has spent $295 million to lease homes for more than 1,200 households. This comprehensive support helped thousands of people begin rebuilding their lives after losing almost everything.

FEMA also helped fund construction of a temporary school to ensure that students whose schools burned could continue their classes. Hawaii, with its relatively small population and limited emergency funds, would have struggled to mount a comparable response on its own.

A man wearing a T-shirt with the state seal of Hawaii speaks with reporters, standing next to a woman with 'FEMA' on her cap and shirt with ocean and burned properties behind them.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, and then-FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell speak to reporters in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 12, 2023, while assessing the wildfire damage there. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Larger states often need help, too. When a 2021 winter storm overwhelmed Texas’ power grid and water infrastructure, FEMA coordinated the delivery of essential supplies, including water, fuel, generators and blankets, following the disaster declaration on Feb. 19, 2021. Within days, it awarded more than $2.8 million in grants to help people with temporary housing and home repairs.

Which states would suffer most without FEMA?

Without FEMA or other federal support, states would have to manage the disaster response and recovery on their own.

States prone to frequent disasters, such as Louisiana and Florida, would face expensive recurring challenges that would likely exacerbate recovery delays and reduce their overall resilience.

Smaller, more rural and less wealthy states that lack the financial resources and logistical capabilities to respond effectively would be disproportionately affected.

“States don’t have that capability built to handle a disaster every single year,” Lynn Budd, director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, told Stateline in an interview. Access to FEMA avoids the need for expensive disaster response infrastructure in each state.

States might be able to arrange regional cooperation. But state-led responses and regional models have limitations. The National Guard could assist with supply distribution, but it isn’t designed to provide fast financial aid, housing or long-term recovery options, and the supplies and the recovery effort still come at a cost.

A National Guard member walks in front of search and rescue vehicles. FEMA
Members of the National Guard and a FEMA search-and-rescue team work together in the disaster response after Hurricane Florence pounded Wilmington, N.C., in September 2018. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Wealthier states might be better equipped to manage on their own, but poorer states would likely struggle. States with less funding and infrastructure would be left relying on nonprofits and community-based efforts. But these organizations are not capable of providing the scope of services FEMA can.

Any federal funding would also be slow if Congress had to approve aid after each disaster, rather than having FEMA already prepared to respond. States would be at the mercy of congressional infighting.

In the absence of a federal response and coordinating role, recovery would be uneven, with wealthier areas recovering faster and poorer areas likely seeing more prolonged hardships.

What does this mean?

Coordinating disaster response is complex, the paperwork for federal assistance can be frustrating, and the agency does draw criticism. However, it also fills an important role.

As the frequency of natural disasters continues to rise due to climate change, ask yourself: How prepared is your state for a disaster, and could it get by without federal aid?

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 250 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.

Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems

Written by Richard Forno, principal lecturer in computer science and electrical engineering, UMBC

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump’s special commission tasked with slashing federal spending, continues to disrupt Washington and the federal bureaucracy. According to published reports, its teams are dropping into federal agencies with a practically unlimited mandate to reform the federal government in accordance with recent executive orders.

As a 30-year cybersecurity veteran, I find the activities of DOGE thus far concerning. Its broad mandate across government, seemingly nonexistent oversight, and the apparent lack of operational competence of its employees have demonstrated that DOGE could create conditions that are ideal for cybersecurity or data privacy incidents that affect the entire nation.

Traditionally, the purpose of cybersecurity is to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of information and information systems while helping keep those systems available to those who need them. But in DOGE’s first few weeks of existence, reports indicate that its staff appears to be ignoring those principles and potentially making the federal government more vulnerable to cyber incidents.

Technical competence

Cybersecurity and information technology, like any other business function, depend on employees trained specifically for their jobs. Just as you wouldn’t let someone only qualified in first aid to perform open heart surgery, technology professionals require a baseline set of credentialed education, training and experience to ensure that the most qualified people are on the job.

Currently, the general public, federal agencies and Congress have little idea who is tinkering with the government’s critical systems. DOGE’s hiring process, including how it screens applicants for technical, operational or cybersecurity competency, as well as experience in government, is opaque. And journalists investigating the backgrounds of DOGE employees have been intimidated by the acting U.S. attorney in Washington.

DOGE has hired young people fresh out of – or still in – college or with little or no experience in government, but who reportedly have strong technical prowess. But some have questionable backgrounds for such sensitive work. And one leading DOGE staffer working at the Treasury Department has since resigned over a series of racist social media posts.

Wired’s Katie Drummond explains what the magazine’s reporters have uncovered about DOGE staffers and their activities.

According to reports, these DOGE staffers have been granted administrator-level technical access to a variety of federal systems. These include systems that process all federal payments, including Social Security, Medicare and the congressionally appropriated funds that run the government and its contracting operations.

DOGE operatives are quickly developing and deploying major software changes to very complex old systems and databases, according to reports. But given the speed of change, it’s likely that there is little formal planning or quality control involved to ensure such changes don’t break the system. Such actions run contrary to cybersecurity principles and best practices for technology management.

As a result, there’s probably no way of knowing if these changes make it easier for malware to be introduced into government systems, if sensitive data can be accessed without authorization, or if DOGE’s work is making government systems otherwise more unstable and more vulnerable.

If you don’t know what you’re doing in IT, really bad things can happen. A notable example is the failed launch of the healthcare.gov website in 2013. In the case of the Treasury Department’s systems, that’s fairly important to remember as the nation careens toward another debt-ceiling crisis and citizens look for their Social Security payments.

On Feb. 6, 2025, a federal judge ordered that DOGE staff be restricted to read-only access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems, but the legal proceedings challenging the legality of their access to government IT systems are ongoing.

DOGE email servers

DOGE’s apparent lack of cybersecurity competence is reflected in some of its first actions. DOGE installed its own email servers across the federal government to facilitate direct communication with rank-and-file employees outside official channels, disregarding time-tested best practices for cybersecurity and IT administration. A lawsuit by federal employees alleges that these systems did not undergo a security review as required by current federal cybersecurity standards.

There is an established process in the federal government to configure and deploy new systems to ensure they are stable, secure and unlikely to create cybersecurity problems. But DOGE ignored those practices, with predictable results.

For example, a journalist was able to send invitations to his newsletter to over 13,000 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees through one of these servers. In another case, the way in which employee responses to DOGE’s Fork in the Road buyout offer to federal employees are collected could easily be manipulated by someone with malicious intent – a simple social engineering attack could wrongly end a worker’s employment. And DOGE staff members reportedly are connecting their own untrusted devices to government networks, which potentially introduces new ways for cyberattackers to penetrate sensitive systems.

However, DOGE appears to be embracing creative cybersecurity practices in shielding itself. It’s reorganizing its internal communications in order to dodge Freedom of Information Act requests into its work, and it’s using cybersecurity techniques for tracking insider threats to prevent and investigate leaks of its activities.

Lacking management controls

But it’s not just technical security that DOGE is ignoring. On Feb. 2, two security officials for the U.S. Agency for International Development resisted granting a DOGE team access to sensitive financial and personnel systems until their identities and clearances were verified, in accordance with federal requirements. Instead, the officials were threatened with arrest and placed on administrative leave, and DOGE’s team gained access.

The Trump administration also has reclassified federal chief information officers, normally senior career employees with years of specialized knowledge, to be general employees subject to dismissal for political reasons. So there may well be a brain drain of IT talent in the federal government, or a constant turnover of both senior IT leadership and other technical experts. This change will almost certainly have ramifications for cybersecurity.

DOGE operatives now have direct access to the Office of Personnel Management’s database of millions of federal employees, including those with security clearances holding sensitive positions. Without oversight, this access opens up the possibilities of privacy violations, tampering with employment records, intimidation or political retribution.

Support from all levels of management is crucial to provide accountability for cybersecurity and technology management. This is especially important in the public sector, where oversight and accountability is a critical function of good democratic governance and national security. After all, if people don’t know what you’re doing, they don’t know what you’re doing wrong.

At the moment, DOGE appears to be operating with very little oversight by anyone in position willing or able to hold it responsible for its actions.

Mitigating the damage

Career federal employees trying to follow legal or cybersecurity practices for federal systems and data are now placed in a difficult position. They either capitulate to DOGE staffers’ instructions, thereby abandoning best practices and ignoring federal standards, or resist them and run the risk of being fired or disciplined.

The federal government’s vast collections of data touch every citizen and company. While government systems may not be as trustworthy as they once were, people can still take steps to protect themselves from adverse consequences of DOGE’s activities. Two good starting points are to lock your credit bureau records in case your government data is disclosed and using different logins and passwords on federal websites to conduct business.

It’s crucial for the administration, Congress and the public to recognize the cybersecurity dangers that DOGE’s activities pose and take meaningful steps to bring the organization under reasonable control and oversight.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 250 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.

Meet a Retriever—Emmanuella Osei, public health and sociology junior and fearless leader

Meet Emmanuella Osei, a junior studying public health and sociology and the president of UMBC’s Public Health Council of Majors. She is passionate about health equity, public service, and mentorship. As a Retriever, Emmanuella is a fearless leader, actively involved in multiple scholar programs, and volunteer initiatives across the globe—from Maryland to South Africa to Costa Rica. Her commitment to high-impact research has led her to tackle critical issues like food insecurity among students at UMBC and access to long-term COVID-19 care. She is a proud recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship. Her dedication to making a difference continues to take her where she is most needed. Take it away, Emmanuella!

Q: Briefly introduce yourself. What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A:  I am pursuing a dual degree in public health and sociology and a certificate in the social dimensions of health. Throughout my time at UMBC, I have engaged in many experiential learning opportunities. In the summer following my freshman year, I interned at Columbia Community Care, a non-profit in Howard County that offers hunger relief, youth development, and wellness programs. In summer of 2024, I participated in the Summer Research Opportunity Program at the University of Michigan, where I researched access to long COVID care in the HELPER lab at the School of Public Health. Most recently, I participated in the AIFS study abroad program in Costa Rica where I learned about Costa Rica’s health care and tropical systems.

Q: Tell us about your primary WHY, and how it led you to UMBC.

A: I came to UMBC because of the vibrant and supportive community I felt when I first toured the campus. I knew that as an immigrant and first-generation student from Ghana [in West Africa], UMBC would be a great place to be. Because UMBC is a minority-serving institution and home to students from diverse backgrounds and identities, I felt it would offer the perfect environment for me to also grow academically while providing countless opportunities. So far, UMBC has definitely lived up to my expectations, and I truly believe that everyone can find their place here.

Eight college students stand closely in a group with a professor in front of a stone wall with the South African mountains in the background
Osei (first on the right kneeling) and other Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars in South Africa. (Image courtesy of Osei)

Q: Tell us about the people who are helping you grow at UMBC, and why their HOW made such a difference to you.

A college professor and Emmanuella Osei, their student, stand in front of a large photo background with UMBC logos
Osei and Nayak at URCAD 2024. (Image courtesy of Osei)

A: My research mentor, Dr. Sameera Nayak, has been extremely supportive of my independent research. She became my mentor during my sophomore year as part of the McNair Scholars Program. Now, as an Undergraduate Research Award Scholar studying food insecurity among students at UMBC, Dr. Nayak continues to guide me and provides feedback on each stage of the research process. After collecting and analyzing over 500 responses, I am now working on disseminating my findings beginning at UMBC’s spring Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD).

Q: Are you currently part of a scholars program or Living Learning Community at UMBC?

A:  In addition to being a McNair Scholar, I am a member of UMBC’s Honors College and the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program, a four-year scholarship program focused on community engagement and policy. As a Sondheim Scholar, I participated in a faculty-led study abroad summer course in Cape Town, South Africa, to learn about global community engagement and social change. In my first two years at UMBC, I was also a member of the Shriver Living Learning Community (LLC) for students passionate about service, leadership, and advocacy. I served as a peer mentor in my sophomore year, supporting first-year students as they transitioned to college. 

“
Because UMBC is a minority-serving institution and home to students from diverse backgrounds and identities, I felt it would offer the perfect environment for me to also grow academically while providing countless opportunities. So far, UMBC has definitely lived up to my expectations, and I truly believe that everyone can find their place here.

Emmanuella Osei ’26

public health and sociology

Q: What clubs, teams, or organizations are you a part of? What do you love about them?

A: I am the president of UMBC’s Public Health Council of Majors. I love planning professional development and social events to bring public health students together. In the past year, we have hosted events such as graduate school information sessions, internship panels, resume workshops in collaboration with the Career Center, and LinkedIn headshots, among others.

A large group of college students group in a carpeted hallway for a picture
Osei (center striped shirt) with members of UMBC’s Public Health Council of Majors. (Image courtesy of Osei)

Q: How are you making a difference for other Retrievers?

A: Since my sophomore year, I have worked as an Academic Peer Advocate through UMBC’s Academic Success Center. In this role, I support other undergraduate students by connecting them to the great resources UMBC offers. Through the Shriver Center, I volunteered at the Great Kids Farm, a Baltimore City Public Schools farm-to-school program. Currently, I serve as a student ambassador for the Commodore Collegiates Program, a partnership between UMBC and Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School. I give students an exciting tour of UMBC, lead fun STEM activities, share my college experience, and engage them in discussions about college.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about Scholars Programs at UMBC.

Meet a Retriever—Michael Brazda ’06, M.A. ’08, and Ph.D. ’24, an adjunct professor and advocate for virtual lifelong learning 

Meet Michael Brazda ’06, anthropology, M.A. ’08, applied sociology, and Ph.D. ’24, gerontology, an adjunct professor who is passionate about both asynchronous and synchronous online learning. Drawing from his experiences as a student and a working professional, he understands the flexibility needed while earning a degree. Now, he focuses on helping students who require that same level of flexibility to balance their education with work, family, and other life responsibilities. For Michael, the ability to access virtual learning is a game-changer for lifelong learning. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm, Michael!

Q: Briefly introduce yourself.

A professor with long light brown hair and grey beard sits in front of a white board Michael Brazda

A: I am an adjunct professor in various institutions across Maryland. I teach sociology at Mount St. Mary’s University and Frederick Community College and gerontology, sociology, and women’s studies at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Q: What was your academic journey?

A: I graduated from UMBC’s doctoral gerontology program in December 2024. I took a long circuitous route to get here. In 1987, I earned my first bachelor’s degree in computer studies and went to work as a telecommunications technician and network administrator. Sixteen years later, I was laid off which led to a lot of soul-searching. I realized I didn’t like certain aspects of the tech industry and decided to explore other fields.

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? 

A: I started at UMBC, earning a second bachelor’s degree in anthropology followed by a master’s degree in applied sociology. I took a two-year detour in the public policy doctoral program and finally found my home in gerontology. In part, because it provided a capstone to my life up to that point. I was always interested in the social sciences. Gerontology, being multidisciplinary, allowed me to tie together my interests in sociology and anthropology. 

Q: What do you love about your job?

A: I don’t like living in the past. I like encountering new things and understanding how and why people behave a certain way. Some of the music that I’ve learned to appreciate is because of the assignments I have given, like songs by Billie Eilish. We analyze their lyrics and relate them to sociological concepts. I have taught online at more than five universities and community colleges in the area because it allows me to work with and learn from a diverse group of students, which is something I really enjoy. Through this experience, I have become an advocate for lifelong learning.

“
Online learning helps students, who need more than a traditional institution offers, to have a holistic college experience. 

Michael Brazda ’06, M.A. ’08, and Ph.D. ’24

Adjunct Professor

Q: Why are you passionate about lifelong learning?

A: Lifelong learning comes more from the desire to learn new things and get involved in different areas that interest me. Online learning plays into this because it expands what’s available academically. With online learning, I’m not limited to what the colleges or universities in my area may offer. I can look at or get involved with academic programs around the country. When I returned to college in 2003, I could only access universities near my home, UMBC being one of those. Otherwise, I would have to drive to D.C., further into Baltimore, or Pennsylvania. Online learning helps students, who need more than a traditional institution offers, to have a holistic college experience. 

Online teaching became my modality of choice because it allows me to teach at a wider range of schools. Trying to make a living as an adjunct professor while traveling from campus to campus for classes eats up a lot of time. In contrast, the ability to teach online eliminates that overhead. It allows me to devote more time to teaching, learning, and developing my classes in new ways.

Q: Since you’ve been a part of the UMBC community, how have you found support of your WHY?

A: Although I’ve been teaching for many years, I’m always learning how to become a better educator for my students. While at UMBC, I took advantage of UMBC’s Graduate Students Association PROF-it: Professors in Training seminar. This program helped refine my teaching skills enabling me to better meet my students’ needs.

The UMBC community has supported me in ways that I reflect in my teaching today. The welcoming faculty, both in teaching and research, made me feel like a part of the team. As a student, this was particularly important—working with researchers who encouraged me to develop my ideas and explore topics of interest to me, while still allowing me to call the work my own. At the same time, they involved me in every aspect of the research process, helping me learn, expand, and grow as a researcher. Faculty in sociology, anthropology, and public health like Robert Rubenstein, emeritus professor,  Ann Frankowski, senior research scientist in the doctoral gerontology program; and J. Kevin Eckert, emeritus professor, among others, created a comfortable and supportive environment.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about UMBC’s Ph.D. in gerontology.

UMBC’s Class of 2023 surpasses national career outcomes

Recent data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) highlights the exceptional career readiness of UMBC graduates. “UMBC continues to surpass national career outcome rates across all degree levels,” said Christine Routzahn, director of the Career Center.

Bachelor’s degree outcomes

Nationwide, nearly 85 percent of Class of 2023 bachelor’s degree graduates were employed or pursuing further education within six months of graduation, according to NACE’s First Destinations report. UMBC stands out with an impressive career outcome rate of 93 percent.

Nationally, 57.2 percent of bachelor’s degree recipients were employed full-time within six months, compared to UMBC’s 65 percent. While 20.2 percent of graduates nationwide pursued further education, UMBC’s rate was higher at 24 percent.

Graduate degree outcomes

UMBC’s graduate degree holders also excelled beyond national averages. For master’s degree graduates, the national career outcome rate—defined as being employed or pursuing further education within six months—was 89.4 percent according to NACE’s report. UMBC outpaces this with a career outcome rate of 90.8 percent for master’s recipients.

Doctoral graduates nationwide had a 92.5 percent outcome rate, but UMBC achieved an exceptional 100 percent.

These results reflect our strong academic programs and the collective efforts of the UMBC community in fostering student achievement. “Our collective work empowers UMBC students to achieve meaningful career paths and long-term success,” Routzahn emphasized.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Retriever Behind the Scenes—Chris Serafin, electric trades supervisor

Meet Chris Serafin, electric trades supervisor in UMBC’s Facilities Management (FM). Serafin has been at UMBC for 9 years and was recently awarded a USM Board of Regents’ Staff Award for his exceptional work, including a high voltage electrical switch replacement in the Engineering Building that ended up saving the university a half a million dollars in contractor’s fees.

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I enjoy my job as electric supervisor and have a great group of high voltage electricians that work hard every day to ensure the stability of the UMBC power system. I received my management studies degree in 2020 from the University of Maryland Global Campus, taking full advantage of the tuition remission program provided by the State of Maryland. I enjoy building furniture and playing guitar in my free time.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: John Zahor [AVP for FM]  has been extremely supportive in my career at UMBC. He has been a hands off boss and has allowed me to make critical changes to how the UMBC electric shop is run, which has greatly improved the efficiency of daily operations.

a man in a UMBC cap sits in his office
Chris Serafin in his office. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

A: Leadership has allowed me to be proactive, creative, and think outside the box when exploring the fascinating world of electrical theory.

Q: Tell us about the people who have helped you at UMBC.

A: Lenn Caron [acting vice president, Administration and Finance], John Zahor, and Valerie RiChard in Facilities Management have allowed me to run the UMBC electric shop the way I think in needs to be run to provide the electrical requirements of administrators, faculty, staff, and students at UMBC.

Meet a Retriever—Collin Sullivan ’19, M.P.P. ’21, digital credential innovator

Collin Sullivan ’19, information systems and economics, M.P.P. ’21, is the program director for digital credential innovation in the Division of Professional Studies. While he started as a student worker in 2015 for the Division of Information Technology (DoIT), working with faculty to leverage the use of clickers in the classroom, he now leads university efforts to offer in-demand microcredentials, such as the Greater Washington Partnership Digital Tech credential. Two things have been constant in Collin’s career: his interest in technology and his love of the UMBC community. 

Q: What led you to your current role? 

A: In many ways, my professional time at UMBC found me. I began as an undergraduate student worker in Instructional Technology with DoIT. I started by supporting classroom clickers in classes all across campus. I’ve always been interested in educational technology, so I was incredibly fortunate and lucky to have had that opportunity during my undergrad. 

When I was about to graduate, like many rising seniors, I was really unsure of where I was going to go. I was feeling uneasy about looking for jobs because I knew the values of UMBC and the community that exists here, and I had a hard time thinking about other places to work that would have the same feeling. My passion for educational technology never waned, and in the end I found an opportunity at UMBC.

Q: How many hats do you wear at UMBC?

A: I have had many roles here at UMBC: undergraduate student, graduate student, alumnus, staff, and adjunct faculty member. I’ve studied information systems, economics, and public policy. I began my career in the Division of Information Technology, and now I am in Extended Studies with the Division of Professional Studies. It is without question that I am who I am, and where I am, because of UMBC. 

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you.

A: There are way too many people to name! The first person who comes to mind is Craig Berger, my Student Government Association advisor when I was an undergrad. There is no other way to put it other than Craig is the best. During my first few days at UMBC, I made my way to the Campus Life office, and Craig always made me feel welcomed and, later, truly empowered me to feel like I could make a difference on campus and beyond the loop. He taught me that even during times that feel particularly challenging, the world is still malleable. A different perspective and level-headed, strategic approach often is a meaningful path forward.

Collin Sullivan ’19, wearing a dark suit and black tie, smiles confidently in a professional outdoor portrait.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: In many ways, UMBC is a small town. It feels like a close-knit community where it’s easy to make meaningful connections with people from diverse backgrounds who genuinely care about each other. While we strive for excellence, there’s no sense of competition—everyone supports one another in achieving personal and collective success, whether in academics, work, or relationships.

Q: Tell us about an organization you’re involved in as part of your work.

A: I’ve had the privilege of being involved with 1EdTech, a national education technology organization, where I serve as co-chair of the Digital Credential Innovation Leadership Network. Our goal is to ensure that everyone who earns digital credentials can confidently showcase their verified competencies and achievements, using them in ways that best support whatever is next in life.

Q: What’s your favorite place on campus to relax or meet friends? 

A: My favorite spot has changed over the years—from the tables by the Library pond to the area outside the RAC and the Forum sculpture at the PAHB. But honestly, my go-to answer has to be the coveted comfy chairs at Starbucks! I’ve had so many amazing conversations with friends, mentors, and colleagues there. Plus, you never know who you’ll bump into. There’s just something about the possibilities of chatting over a cup of coffee.

“
In many ways, UMBC is a small town. It feels like a close-knit community where it’s easy to make meaningful connections with people from diverse backgrounds who genuinely care about each other.

Collin Sullivan '19, M.P.P. '21

program director for digital credential innovation

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

A: Working with faculty and staff to create new pathways for learners to reach their goals. It’s easy to get caught up in our own worlds and forget to pause and reflect on the progress we’re all making. I love that I get to collaborate with others to create space for those reflections, where we can really think about what we want learners to achieve. The best part? Seeing the end result—acknowledging all the hard work, both seen and unseen, that helps learners improve their lives and take the next step in their journey.

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Office Hours

Listening has defined the early years of President Valerie Sheares Ashby’s tenure at UMBC, starting with her series of Bold Conversations to hear the many diverse Retriever voices. She continues to offer office hours for students, setting an example for other campus leaders to create similar opportunities in their own spaces. Meghna Chandrasekaran, Student Government Association (SGA) president, has extended the practice in her role as a programming intern at The Mosaic via “Chai Chats,” an opportunity for South Asian Retrievers to connect over their shared heritage. The biological sciences and political science senior and Sheares Ashby talk about the discomfort that leadership can bring along with the ultimate flourishing that results in finding what you were meant to do.

Meghna Chandrasekaran: As a young SGA officer, I always thought that I would have to talk a lot to make my presence known. But over time, I realized I needed to take a step back and listen. And it wasn’t listening just to listen—but listening to understand, especially lived experiences. After STRiVE [an intensive and engaging leadership for public purpose program at UMBC] and my work with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, I’m able to assess spaces in a way that I know when I can keep engaging and when I should just take a step back and sit with possible discomfort. I’ve learned a lot about listening with intentionality.

President Sheares Ashby: I am more and more comfortable with discomfort because I have developed a practice for myself. I have decided with intent that whenever I feel anxious, I will just sit up and lean slightly forward, because I do not want to pull back from the conversation. And that is my way of saying, “Just lean in. Everybody is okay.”

Chandrasekaran: I’ve been in this SGA space since middle school. I was always told certain steps and guidelines to follow in order to be a leader. And when I came to UMBC, I thought, again: I’ll follow the guidelines. But then I went to STRiVE, and that shook up my entire worldview, to be totally honest. I learned I needed to be myself, my unapologetic self. Previously in SGA spaces, I would never bring up cultural heritage because I saw that as unprofessional. 

two women sit next to a bookshelf in nice wooden chairs during office hours

At the same time, I was a Leadership Peer Facilitator, and I started to understand my own personal values. Now it’s become second nature to show up in spaces as myself. That’s where the Chai Chats started—I really wanted to do something to keep me in touch with my cultural heritage, which is extremely important to me as a Tamil American student.

There have been some times when my friends have complained that I’m being “SGA president” with them and not “Meghna,” but that’s not the case anymore. It is now a part of who I am, and I just show up this way everywhere I go.

Sheares Ashby: Leaders continue to grow every day. You have a conversation like, “Ooh, I did not realize I was thinking about it that way,” or “I did not realize I had that bias,” or “I did not realize that I was not communicating clearly.” You learn something about yourself every single day, and you are growing. You show up as yourself every day and try to be the best version you could be. That is actually all anyone is asking you to do. 

It is a beautifully calming thing [to know you] do not have to have all the answers. I do not have to know anything magical. I do not have to be right—and I am probably not going to be right. All I have to do is be me. 

What is next for you, Meghna?

Chandrasekaran: I’m applying for a master’s in public policy, with a concentration in higher ed, in part because I’ve experienced something that feels unique to UMBC, especially with regards to shared governance. I talk to my peers at different institutions, and when I tell them what our SGA does, they’re like, “Whoa, what? You have a seat at the table? You’re managing a $1.1 million budget?” And I’m like, “That’s just the norm here.” I can see how the structures of our institution are set in place to allow for student involvement, and I think the end goal is agency among the entire campus. 

Sheares Ashby: You do not know how much all of that gives me joy. It is so fun to watch you. This is why I have the best job in the world. I get to watch you all become who you were intended to be. In spite of how hard it is to be a leader, I watch you do it with joy. Everyone here is trying to figure out who they actually are and how that aligns with the life that they want. You did it. 

What is Salt Typhoon? A security expert explains the Chinese hackers and their attack on US telecommunications networks

Written by Richard Forno, principal lecturer in computer science and electrical engineering, UMBC

Cyberattacks linked to the Chinese government that compromised large portions of the American telecommunications network have the U.S. government sounding the alarm. The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), has called it the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history” and noted that it makes prior cyberattacks by Russian operatives look like “child’s play” by comparison.

The complex cyberattack, carried out by a group of Chinese hackers dubbed Salt Typhoon, began as far back as 2022. Its purpose, according to U.S. officials, was to give Chinese operatives persistent access to telecommunications networks across the U.S. by compromising devices like routers and switches run by companies like AT&T, Verizon, Lumen and others.

This attack comes on the heels of reports that the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were assisting telephone companies with countering other China-connected compromises of their networks. The earlier hacking was part of an attack targeting people in the Washington area in government or political roles, including candidates for the 2024 presidential election.

But Salt Typhoon is not just targeting Americans. Research from security vendor Trend Micro shows that attacks by Salt Typhoon compromised other critical infrastructure around the world in recent years. U.S. officials have confirmed these findings as well – and their level of concern is noteworthy.

Chinese officials have denied the allegations that they’re behind this operation, as they have in response to allegations about previous cyberattacks.

As a cybersecurity researcher, I find this attack is indeed breathtaking in its scope and severity. But it’s not surprising that such an incident took place. Many organizations of all sizes still fail to follow good cybersecurity practices, have limited resources, or operate IT infrastructures that are too complex to effectively monitor, manage and secure.

How bad is it?

Salt Typhoon exploited technical vulnerabilities in some of the cybersecurity products like firewalls used to protect large organizations. Once inside the network, the attackers used more conventional tools and knowledge to expand their reach, gather information, stay hidden and deploy malware for later use.

According to the FBI, Salt Typhoon allowed Chinese officials to obtain a large amount of records showing where, when and who specific individuals were communicating with. In some cases, they noted that Salt Typhoon gave access to the contents of phone calls and text messages as well.

‘PBS News Hour’ reports on updates from the White House about Salt Typhoon.

Salt Typhoon also compromised the private portals, or backdoors, that telephone companies provide to law enforcement to request court-ordered monitoring of phone numbers pursuant to investigations. This is also the same portal that is used by U.S. intelligence to surveil foreign targets inside the United States.

As a result, Salt Typhoon attackers may have obtained information about which Chinese spies and informants counterintelligence agencies were monitoring – knowledge that can help those targets try to evade such surveillance.

On Dec. 3, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency and FBI, along with their counterparts in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, released guidance to the public on how to address the Salt Typhoon attack. Their Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure guide essentially reiterates best cybersecurity practices for organizations that could help mitigate the impact of Salt Typhoon or future copycat attacks.

It does, however, include recommendations to protect specific telecommunication equipment for some of the Cisco products that were targeted in this attack.

As of this writing, U.S. officials and affected companies have not been able to fully ascertain the scope, depth and severity of the attack – or remove the attackers from compromised systems – even though this attack has been ongoing for months.

What can be done?

U.S. officials have said that many of the ways Salt Typhoon penetrated its targets was through existing weaknesses with the infrastructure. As I’ve written previously, failing to implement basic cybersecurity best practices can lead to debilitating incidents for organizations of all sizes. Given how dependent the world is on networked information systems, it is more important than ever to maintain cybersecurity programs that make it difficult for attacks to succeed, especially for critical infrastructure like the phone network.

In addition to following the best practices guidance issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency earlier this week, organizations should remain vigilant. They should monitor not only the news for information about this attack but the various free, proprietary or private threat intelligence feeds and informal professional networks to stay up to date on attackers’ tactics and techniques – and ways to counter them.

Companies and governments should also ensure their IT departments and cybersecurity programs are adequately staffed and funded to meet their needs and ensure that best practices are implemented. The Federal Communications Commission is already threatening companies with fines for failing to bolster their defenses against Chinese hacking.

Although any illicit surveillance is concerning, the average American probably has little to worry about from Salt Typhoon. It’s unlikely that your family phone calls or text messages to friends are of interest to the Chinese government. However, if you want to increase your security and privacy a bit, consider using end-to-end encrypted messaging services like Signal, FaceTime or Messages.

Also make sure you’re not using default or easily guessed passwords on your devices, including your home router. And consider using two-factor authentication to further strengthen the security of any critical internet accounts.

Backdoors and bad guys

Lost in the noise of the story is that Salt Typhoon has proved that the decades of warnings by the internet security community were correct. No mandated secret or proprietary access to technology products is likely to remain undiscovered or used only by “the good guys” – and efforts to require them are likely to backfire.

So it’s somewhat ironic that one of the countermeasures recommended by the government to guard against Salt Typhoon spying is to use strongly encrypted services for phone calls and text messages – encryption capabilities that it has spent decades trying to undermine so that only “the good guys” can use it.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 300 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.

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