INFORMATION SECURITY: Many NASA Mission-Critical Systems Face Serious Risks

Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) relies on automated information systems to support a wide range of important and costly operations. In fiscal year 1998 NASA estimated that it spent $1.7 billion on information systems, including those critical to such activities as human space flight scientific and technological development, and matters of international cooperation for the advancement of science. Given the importance of information technology (IT) to our nation's space program, you asked us to assess NASAs information security program. Our specific objectives were to determine (1) whether NASAs mission-critical information systems are vulnerable to unauthorized access, (2) whether NASA is effectively managing information systems security, and (3) what NASA is doing to address the risk of unauthorized access to mission-critical systems.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA391086

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Computer Access Control
  • Control Systems
  • Cybersecurity
  • Electronic Mail
  • Information Security
  • Information Systems
  • Internet
  • National Security
  • Risk
  • Risk Analysis
  • Security
  • Space Flight
  • Space Transportation
  • Spacecraft
  • United States
  • World Wide Web

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space