02/12/10 GAO Reports Continuing Weakness In NASA's Information Technology Systems

[admin]

Government Accountability Office is reporting that continuing weaknesses in information technology systems are a "key issue" facing NASA, as it undergoes a dramatic change of direction. The White House proposed budget cancels NASA's $3.5 billion Constellation program that was intended to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020. Instead, the fiscal 2011 budget calls for investing in the commercial space industry, international partners and new technologies to revitalize human space flight over the long-term. During fiscal years 2007 and 2008, NASA reported 1,120 security incidents where malicious software was installed on its systems or intruders accessed sensitive information. Despite the establishment of a security operations center to prevent such episodes, "control vulnerabilities and program shortfalls" increase "the risk of unauthorized access to NASA's sensitive information, as well as inadvertent or deliberate disruption of its system operations," according to the GAO.

For more information:
http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2010/02/gao_says_nasa_it_security_needs_attention.php?oref =latest_posts