Obama-Era Tech Project Was Supposed to Help Taxpayers. It Could Get Them Hacked Instead.
In 2014, the Technology Transformation Services (TTS) was launched with the goal of overhauling the government’s outdated technology infrastructure. However, the team tasked with this initiative, which was intended to bring Silicon Valley’s innovation to the government, has become better known for its failures and fraudulent practices.
The TTS created Login.Gov, a $187 million system designed to provide secure access to all government programs through a single portal. It was assumed that the platform had verification capabilities, including facial recognition and other biometric scans required by federal cybersecurity rules, but it was later discovered that these features did not exist. Despite this, the TTS charged federal agencies $10 million for the nonexistent security feature. As a result, millions of Americans may now be vulnerable to identity theft as a result of Login.Gov’s vulnerabilities.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced its intent to implement the Login.Gov program following Tax Day, which would mean anyone filing their taxes online with the IRS would need to use Login.Gov, potentially putting taxpayers at risk. The White House is also considering mandating the use of Login.Gov across federal benefits programs, exposing the entire population to the platform.
The TTS, originally known as 18F, is a government agency that provides technology design and implementation services to federal agencies for a steep fee. However, a 2017 General Services Administration inspector general report found that the TTS ignored security procedures and protocols, cut corners, and left many of the agency tech leaders with “digital destruction” to clean up. A former GSA Federal Technology Service commissioner called the group a “train wreck.”
TTS’s deception over Login.Gov may have facilitated up to $400 billion in COVID relief fraud through the Small Business Administration. The GSA inspector general noted that TTS’s failure was rooted in its historic 18F culture, which ignored oversight and did not align well with other components. Despite its record of incompetence, the Biden administration has allocated $150 million to the group as part of the American Rescue Plan, and President Biden has requested an additional $115.8 million for the group in his 2023 budget.
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