Fergie's Tech Blog

Homeland Security Department's Own IT Security Found Lacking

Larry Greenemeier writes in InformationWeek:

The Homeland Security Department's ability to protect its own data and IT systems leaves much to be desired, according to a report released Monday by the Government Accountability Office, Congress's investigative arm. Although the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, or FISMA, requires each government agency to create a departmentwide information-security program, Homeland Security has fallen behind in its risk assessment, security planning, security-tools evaluation, and systems inventory.

It's not clear how vulnerable Homeland Security's IT systems and data are to cyberattacks, but the GAO report points out that the department's inability to keep up with IT security policy outlined in FISMA isn't the only problem. The GAO report, dated June 17, also states that Homeland Security isn't properly using technology to help secure its IT systems. In particular, the department's Trusted Agent FISMA enterprise-management software tool is lacking in several areas, including its ability to verify data, provide an audit trail, report system weaknesses, and link to updated plans of action and milestones.

"Until DHS addresses these weaknesses and fully implements a comprehensive, departmentwide information-security program, its ability to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its information and information systems will be limited," says the report, which was compiled by GAO director of information-security issues Gregory Wilshusen at the request of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., ranking minority member of the Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

posted by Fergie @ 7/12/2005 08:28:00 AM