Information Security: Serious and Widespread Weaknesses Persist at Federal Agencies
Abstract
Dramatic increases in computer interconnectivity, especially in use of the Internet, are revolutionizing the way our government, our nation, and much of the world communicate and conduct business. The benefits have been enormous. Vast amounts of information are now literally at our fingertips, facilitating research on virtually every topic imaginable; financial and other business transactions can be executed almost instantaneously, often on a 24-hour-a-day basis; and electronic mail, Internet Web sites, and computer bulletin boards allow us to communicate quickly and easily with a virtually unlimited number of other individuals and groups. However, in addition to its benefits, this widespread interconnectivity poses significant risks to our computer systems and, more importantly, to the critical operations and infrastructures they support, such as telecommunications; power distribution; national defense, including the military's warfighting capability; law enforcement; government services; and emergency services. The same factors that benefit operations speed and accessibility if not properly controlled, also make it possible for individuals and organizations to inexpensively interfere with or eavesdrop on these operations from remote locations for purposes of fraud or sabotage, or for other malicious or mischievous purposes. Disruptions caused by recent virus attacks, such as the ILOVEYOU virus in May 2000 and 1999's Melissa virus, have illustrated the potential for damage that such attacks hold. In addition, natural disasters and inadvertent errors by authorized computer users can have devastating consequences if information resources are poorly protected.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA391572
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office