26 June 2007

DHS suffers hacking attempts

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suffered more than 800 hacker break-ins, virus outbreaks, and other computer security problems over two years, senior officials told Congress.

In one instance, officials found hacker tools for stealing passwords and other files on two internal Homeland Security computer systems. The agency’s headquarters sought forensic help from the department’s own Security Operations Center and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team it operates with Carnegie Mellon University.

In other cases, computer workstations in the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration suffered from malicious software officials detected trying to communicate with outsiders; laptops were missing; and agency websites suffered break-ins.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said such problems undermine the government’s efforts to encourage companies and private organizations to improve cyber security.

“What the department is doing on its own networks speaks so loudly that the message is not getting across,” Thompson said.

Congressional investigators determined persistent weaknesses “threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of key DHS information and information systems,” according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

DHS’ Chief Information Officer Scott Charbo assured lawmakers his organization was working to prevent such problems.

“We need to increase our vigilance to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” Charbo wrote in testimony. “The department takes these incidents very seriously and will work diligently to ensure they do not recur.”

The computer problems disclosed to the House Homeland Security subcommittee occurred during fiscal 2005 and fiscal 2006, and occurred at DHS headquarters and the department’s agencies, including TSA, the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Customs and Border Protection, and others.

For related information, go to www.isa.org/productivity.