Digital Event Horizon
The Social Security Administration's decades-old computer systems are being moved from outdated COBOL to modern Java in a rush, raising concerns about the integrity of the system and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely. Can experts complete such a massive undertaking in time?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing an unprecedented crisis due to its planned migration from outdated COBOL programming language to modern Java within a few months. The project poses significant risks, including potential pitfalls and cascading failures across programs, if not executed carefully. The SSA's system contains over 60 million lines of code written in COBOL, with millions more in other legacy coding languages. Experts warn that the rushed migration timeline is unrealistic and could compromise the integrity of the system and benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely. The SSA has been under scrutiny from President Trump's administration and has suffered recent technical issues, including website crashes and long wait times.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing an unprecedented crisis as it prepares to migrate its decades-old computer systems from the outdated programming language COBOL to a more modern replacement. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk lieutenant Steve Davis, has set a tight deadline for the migration, which could potentially put the integrity of the system and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely at risk.
According to sources within SSA, the project aims to migrate all systems off COBOL and onto a more modern replacement like Java within a few months. However, experts warn that such a massive undertaking is fraught with peril and requires meticulous planning and execution to avoid potential pitfalls. The SSA technologist quoted in the article noted that "one of the big risks is not underpayment or overpayment per se but [it's also] not paying someone at all and not knowing about it."
The SSA has been under increasing scrutiny from President Donald Trump's administration, which has falsely claimed that the agency is rife with fraud. In February, Musk took aim at SSA, pointing to data he allegedly pulled from the system that showed 150-year-olds in the US were receiving benefits, a claim that isn't actually happening. Over the last few weeks, following significant cuts to the agency by DOGE, SSA has suffered frequent website crashes and long wait times over the phone.
The SSA's infrastructure contains more than 60 million lines of code written in COBOL, with millions more written in other legacy coding languages. The agency's core programmatic systems and architecture haven't been "substantially" updated since the 1980s when it developed its own database system called MADAM, or the Master Data Access Method, which was written in COBOL and Assembler.
The logic that issues social security numbers, manages payments, and even calculates the total amount beneficiaries should receive for different services is also largely written in COBOL. Even minor changes could result in cascading failures across programs. A former senior SSA technologist who worked in the office of the chief information officer described the system as "held together with bail wire and duct tape," emphasizing the need for careful planning and execution to avoid potential pitfalls.
The article also notes that a safe and proper rewrite should take years, not months, highlighting the risks associated with rushing such a critical project. The SSA's Office of the Inspector General found in 2016 that its infrastructure contained over 60 million lines of code written in COBOL, with millions more written in other legacy coding languages.
In conclusion, the SSA's COBOL crisis is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention and careful planning to ensure the integrity of the system and the benefits on which Americans rely. The rushed migration timeline poses significant risks, and it is essential that experts and officials work together to develop a comprehensive plan that prioritizes safety, security, and accuracy.
Related Information:
https://www.digitaleventhorizon.com/articles/The-Social-Security-Administrations-COBOL-Crisis-A-Rushed-Migration-to-Modernize-Legacy-Code-deh.shtml
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/what-could-possibly-go-wrong-doge-to-rapidly-rebuild-social-security-codebase/
https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/trump-administration-doge-activities-risk-ssa-operations-and-security-of
Published: Sat Mar 29 12:39:10 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
