Concerns about espionage rise as Trump and Musk fire thousands of federal workers

The upheaval in Washington presents an 'unprecedented opportunity' for adversaries

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WASHINGTON: As US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk work to overhaul the federal government, they're forcing out thousands of workers with insider knowledge and connections who now need a job.

For Russia, China and other adversaries, the upheaval in Washington as Musk's Department of Government Efficiency guts government agencies presents an unprecedented opportunity to recruit informants, national security and intelligence experts say.

Every former federal worker with knowledge of or access to sensitive information or systems could be a target. When thousands of them leave their jobs at the same time, that creates a lot of targets, as well as a counterespionage challenge for the United States.

"This information is highly valuable, and it shouldn't be surprising that Russia and China and other organisations — criminal syndicates for instance — would be aggressively recruiting government employees," said Theresa Payton, a former White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, who now runs her own cybersecurity firm.