https://archive.ph/kbi17

By Alice Miranda Ollstein

12/18/2024 06:06 PM EST

Federal officials say they're worried about sharing documents via e-mail with Donald Trump's transition team because the incoming officials are eschewing government devices, email addresses and cybersecurity support, raising fears that they could potentially expose sensitive government data.

The private emails have agency employees considering insisting on in-person meetings and document exchanges that they otherwise would have conducted electronically, according to two federal officials granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Their anxiety is particularly high in light of recent hacking attempts from China and Iran that targeted Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and other top officials.

"I can assure you that the transition teams are targets for foreign intelligence collection," said Michael Daniel, a former White House cyber coordinator who now leads the nonprofit online security organization Cyber Threat Alliance. "There are a lot of countries out there that want to know: what are the policy plans for the incoming administration?"

Trump -- who attacked his then-opponent Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server for official business during his first presidential run -- is overseeing a fully privatized transition that communicates from an array of @transition47.com, @trumpvancetransition.com and @djtfp24.com accounts rather than anything ending in .gov, and uses private servers, laptops and cell phones instead of government-issued devices.

This break with tradition stems from the Trump team forgoing federal funding and the ethics and transparency requirements that come with it.

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