# Edward Coristine The most controversial member of [[DOGE Ecosystem]]'s young engineer cohort. Known by his online alias "Big Balls," Coristine (born December 2005) was 19 years old when given A-suite federal clearance and physical access to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). His pre-government history includes being fired from a cybersecurity firm for leaking company secrets and documented interactions with hacking groups in cybercrime channels — a background that security experts called disqualifying for any government role, let alone access to critical infrastructure. ## Background Graduated from Rye Country Day School in 2024. Enrolled at Northeastern University as a mechanical engineering and physics major in fall 2024 — effectively a first-year college student when recruited to DOGE. His resume listed jobs as a camp counselor and bicycle mechanic alongside a summer internship at [[Neuralink]] ([[Elon Musk]]'s brain-computer interface company). Founded multiple startups with companies registered in Connecticut, Delaware, and the United Kingdom. ## Cybersecurity Red Flags ### Path Network Firing Bloomberg reported that Coristine was fired from his internship at Path Network (a cybersecurity firm) in 2022 for allegedly leaking internal company information to a competitor. Less than two months later, posting under the username "Rivage," Coristine boasted in an online chatroom that he still maintained access to Path Network's systems after termination. ### "The Com" and Cybercrime Channels Brian Krebs (KrebsOnSecurity) reported that Coristine "graduated from 'The Com'" — a network of cybercrime-adjacent online communities. In November 2022, under the username Rivage, Coristine was documented in the cybercrime channel "Dstat" — a core Com hub — requesting recommendations for a "reliable and powerful" DDoS-for-hire service. Dstat was a marketplace where users could buy and sell cyberattack services. ## DOGE Role ### CISA In February 2025, Coristine was given physical access to building facilities at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a DHS email address. CISA is responsible for protecting U.S. critical infrastructure from cyberattacks — making the deployment of someone with documented cybercrime community ties especially alarming to security professionals. ### GSA / DOGE Core Part of the original six-engineer DOGE cohort. Held a GSA email with A-suite level clearance. Listed as a "Senior Advisor" despite being 19. Became a full-time GS-15 federal employee (highest general civil service grade) in May 2025. ### SSA After resigning from DOGE/GSA in June 2025, Coristine immediately reappeared at the Social Security Administration as a [[Special Government Employee]]. His work there was described as "improving the functionality of the Social Security website." ## The SSA Data Breach In August 2025, a whistleblower (the SSA's chief data officer) filed a complaint alleging that DOGE officials — including Coristine — uploaded a copy of the Social Security database to an unsecured cloud server, potentially compromising the sensitive data of over 300 million Americans. The data included names, places and dates of birth, citizenship status, addresses, and parents' names and Social Security numbers. The server reportedly evaded independent oversight and was accessible only to DOGE. ## Resignation & Cultural Impact Coristine resigned from DOGE/GSA in June 2025, with the New York Times reporting on his departure on June 24. His nickname "Big Balls" became what USA Today called a "pop culture punchline" — emblematic of the broader DOGE controversy over unvetted young engineers wielding extraordinary government power. ## See Also - [[DOGE Ecosystem]] - [[Elon Musk]] - [[Gavin Kliger]] - [[Luke Farritor]] - [[Akash Bobba]]