Congressmen Call For Investigation On Government Cyberattacks

Source: Information Week

Unisys, a major government IT contractor, reportedly is being investigated for allegedly failing to detect cyberattacks, and then covering up its failings.
September 24, 2007 03:21 PM


Two congressmen have called for an investigation into cyberattacks aimed at the Department of Homeland Security, along with a contractor charged with securing those networks.

Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., and Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Chairman James R. Langevin, D-R.I., sent a letter last Friday to Richard L. Skinner, inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security. In the letter they say the House Committee on Homeland Security's investigations led them to believe the department is under attack by foreign powers, and could be at risk because of "incompetent and possibly illegal activity" by a U.S. contractor.

The congressmen didn't name the contractor in the letter. However, the Washington Post on Monday reported that the FBI is investigating Unisys (UIS), a major information technology firm with a $1.7 billion Department of Homeland Security contract, for allegedly failing to detect cyber break-ins traced to a Chinese-language Web site and then trying to cover up its deficiencies. The Post also reported that in 2002, Unisys won a $1 billion deal to build, secure, and manage the information technology networks for the Transportation Security Administration and DHS headquarters. In 2005, the company was awarded a $750 million follow-on contract.

"The infiltration of federal government networks by unauthorized users is one of the most critical issues confronting our nation, but it's hardly a new threat," wrote Thompson and Langevin in their letter. "For years, these attacks have resulted in the loss of massive amounts of critical information... Cyberespionage is an issue of national security, and we must improve our defensive posture to prevent the theft of data or the compromise of the integrity of our data."



Read more: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202101028

While reading last week about DHS giving out the contract for its second data center which will ba a 'mirror' of its first, a one paragraph 'note' gave way its location. A NASA base somewhere in Louisiana. I did not think much of it at the time, but after Google mapping the name of it, it turns out to be 40 MILES from N.O!!!
Could a safer location possibly have been found? You tell me!