There is a simple principle I’ve learned in both business and government: people behave differently when they know the boss is paying attention.
When there is little oversight, weak verification, and no accountability, waste grows, fraud becomes easier, and taxpayers pay the price.
That’s exactly what’s happening across Massachusetts today.
A Fiscal Alliance Foundation report found that Massachusetts leads New England in SNAP spending, accounts for nearly 60 percent of all SNAP spending in the region, and now faces the possibility of taxpayers paying as much as $300 million annually because of one of the highest payment error rates in the country.
The Healey administration’s response has been predictable: hire more employees and hope the problem goes away.
That’s not leadership. That’s treating the symptom instead of fixing the cause.
I’ve seen what actually works.
When Gov. Charlie…
CLICK HERE to read the FULL Shortsleeve: SNAP waste, fraud has to stop – Boston Herald article.
IT & DATA SECURITY (MITIGATING THE “INSIDER THREAT”)
As seen in the TD Bank case, an employee with too much “access” can sell your customer data to syndicates.
- Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP): Employees should only have access to the specific folders and databases required for their current task.
- Access Revocation: Have a “Termination Checklist” that ensures all digital access (Email, VPN, Banking) is revoked within 60 minutes of an employee resigning or being dismissed.
- System Logs & Audit Trails: Enable “Read/Write Logging” on your server. If a customer’s data is leaked, you need to know exactly which login accessed that record and at what time.
- Encryption at Rest: Ensure that sensitive files (like your customer ID numbers or payroll spreadsheets) are encrypted so that if a staff member copies them to a USB, they cannot be read.