US Government Cyber Security Still Needs Work

A new report confirms that, despite a series of of warnings, the US State Department has consistently failed to secure its information technology-dependent systems from cyberattacks reflects a general mismanagement of resources.

The Department of Homeland Security, through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has published alerts and guidance recommending heightened awareness and vigilance.  Recent headlines have also raised significant concerns about the possibility of cyberattacks on US businesses as a result of the heightened tensions with Iran. 

The latest State Department Report reapeats finding in 2017, notes “lapses in the performance of duties by Information Systems Security Officers persisted in FY 2019” and pointed to overseas posts where problems were more extensive. In the Office of Foreign Missions, for example, “the lack of a fully implemented systems development lifecycle methodology” meant staff there was using a system that hadn’t been authorised for operation since 2013, the report said.

The report, which was a statement on the department’s “Major Management and Performance Challenges,” referenced the US Inspector General’s 2019 Federal Information Security Management Act Report, which reported weaknesses in all of eight metrics the IG used. 

These included risk management, configuration management, identity and access management, data protection and privacy, security training, information security continuous monitoring, incident response, and contingency planning.

The State Departmnet’s consolidated financial statements for 2018 and 2019, also said, “We have reported weaknesses in IT security controls as a significant deficiency in each audit since our audit of the Department’s FY 2009 consolidated financial statements.” The independent audit also found “significant deficiencies” in State’s financial reporting, budgetary accounting and intergovernmental revenue, among other things. 

US State Dept:             Mondaq:              DefenseOne: 

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