TOPICS
TOPICS
Information security weaknesses could impact food production, GAO says
The Agriculture Department has not fully developed a program to ensure information security for its automated systems and networks, and an interruption in those systems could have a "significant adverse impact on the nation's food and agricultural production," according to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report released Monday.
The findings indicated that "significant, pervasive information-security control weaknesses exist" at the department.
Agriculture has not protected network boundaries, controlled network access, limited mainframe access or fully implemented a program to monitor access, GAO found. The agency also found weaknesses in system software, application software and personnel controls, among others.
"As a result, sensitive data -- including transactions, proprietary information ... and mission-critical data -- are at increased risk of unauthorized disclosure, modification or loss, possibly without being detected," the watchdog agency warned, recommending that the department's chief information officer correct the weaknesses.
COMMENTS
- When will this security end? It’s sending us to the poor house. We can spend and are spending billions of dollars, but you are only as strong as your weakest link. Remember the USS Cole? A rubber raft took it out. How do you stop someone that will sacrifice their life for what they believe in? Technology is good but there will always be new technology to circumvent it. GovExec.com reader Posted March 2, 2004 3:37 PM
