800 Break-ins at Dept. of Homeland Security

WrongSizeGlass writes "Yahoo is reporting about the computer security nightmare going on at the Department of Homeland Security. Senior DHS officials admitted to Congress that over a two year period there were 800 hacker break-ins, virus outbreaks and in one instance, hacker tools for stealing passwords and other files were found on two internal Homeland Security computer systems. I guess it's true what they say ... a mechanic's car is always the last to get fixed."

Comments

When you are a primary target

[Ngarrang]

When you are a primary target like the DHS, I would imagine that the attacks they face are probably harder and longer than most possible victims. I would be interested to know how many hack attempts failed to see what kind of success rate such a high profile agency has. No security is perfect.

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

Meh, whatever. This seems to me to dismiss the high profile nature of the DHS. Most other businesses might not even survive the onslaught faced by the DHS and other government sites.

Could they do more? Sure. There is ALWAYS more that can be done from the user level up to systems and network admin.

"All the problems involved the department's unclassified computer networks..."

That is good to know.

This was predicted

[Johnny Mnemonic]

even by Slashdot pundits, when we learned of the huge Dell and Microsoft contracts that were being awarded by the DHS.

Those who wanted the DHS to be a braintrust of security were sorely disappointed, and indeed we can see that it is nothing more than another bureaucracy more interested in distributing taxpayer funds to corporate friends than really doing anything for the health and welfare of the nation.

This is how Rome fell.

Ha!

[Anonymous Coward]

That's nothing. A password cracker is included in the OS load of every server here. Our security auditing program uses it! Better yet, it would normally be detected by our antivirus program, but a guy here is paid to remove it's pattern from the vscan updates before they're sent out. When an unedited vscan pattern file manages to make it's way on to the machine somehow, it nukes the audit program. How's that for "administratively broken"?

Re:One thing is for sure.

[jimicus]

Further, the people who are likely to be seriously interested in infiltrating the DHS are quite able to find and finance someone with the capability to do so.

The department of "homeland security"

[danpsmith]

I think the reason that people see any irony at all in these type of stories is the fact that they actually expect that the government is as good as its hyperreal image. Of course government agencies aren't infallible, but to suggest this is to deny this hyperreal, overemphasized "we're efficient, intelligent and we know things about you you don't even know" public persona. Without a sufficient belief in the agencies like the CIA and the FBI, and the belief that they are actually more informed than the masses and that the government is more in the know than anyone is aware (unless they are in the government), people would want to know where all this security spending is going (which is a problem for anyone). The government is an inept, massive body of people that is unable to act upon information quickly due to its many layers of bureaucratic bullshit and the legality of everything. The only solution to this problem is to eliminate some of the bureaucracy (firing people, which, of course, can't be done), or to eliminate the red tape (legislation, which, if you eliminate too much becomes a Bush-like grab for power), neither of which will ever be done due to the nature of the politicians in charge. So the federal government, no matter what the politicians say will continue to grow as a monolithic, insecure and ineffective beast while feeding you the image of a secure, fast, intelligent and best of class organization and terrorists with their small but efficient plans will continue to find gaping holes in the system. And that's why irony in this case can be saved for the naive and the uninformed, the rest of us see things like this coming a mile away.

Re:Homeland Security != Information Security

[encino]

I work for DHS in the Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), and while DHS has a long way to go, there are very smart people here that have sacrificed lucrative careers to dedicate themselves to service to the nation. With a Ph.D. in computational biology from Stanford (i.e., I consider myself to have technical skills), I decided the morning of 9/11 that I would not seek a job at a Biotech or Pharma company in the Bay Area upon graduation, but would rather try to get involved and help the nation with whatever talent and education I have been given. There are many others like myself in S&T - thankfully S&T has not (yet!) turned into the typical government clock-punching organization. People here are top-tier, driven, bright, and creative. I am proud of where DHS has come (at least in my corner of it), while acknowledging that we have a long long way to go. Oh, and for the record, DHS employees are not required to be members of the Republican party.

Re:Homeland Security means:

[cayenne8]

"TSA (Not covered by CIA, FBI or other Law Enforcement)>

FEMA>

Customs and Border Protection>

Immigration (Former INS)>

Secret Service (Not covered by CIA, FBI or any other Law Enforcement)>

Coast Guards (Not covered by CIA, FBI or other Law Enforcement)>

>

I'm no fan of them, but how about you take a look at their website if you want to know what they are supposed to do"

Well, they don't seem to be doing very well at many of their tasks....

• TSA - Mostly act at a PITA, and don't seem to know or want to show the applicable laws (like not having to show ID)
• FEMA - First hand observation of them and their continued incompetance in New Orleans. Fortunately I've not had to deal that much with them myself, but, I feel for the people that have. I worry for the next community that gets hit by a disaster, if NOLA is any indication how they act, you're in for a lot of trouble and heartache.
• Customs and Border Protection - Well, I think we ALL know how bad a failure this is....the people flooding in from down south hasn't slowed a bit, even though the majority of the US wants the borders secured.
• Immigration (Former INS) - Well, this obviously doesn't work at all. People wanting to get in legally can't seem to hardly work the system, and we're certainly NOT deporting people here illegally we find and catch. I think the last reference to this working was in the original Cheech and Chong movie, Up in Smoke. The INS gave them a free ride to Mexico, last time I heard of INS every sending someone home that wasn't here legally.
• Secret Service (Not covered by CIA, FBI or any other Law Enforcement) - Ok...they seem to do ok, but, then again, they were great before DHS oversight.
• Coast Guards (Not covered by CIA, FBI or other Law Enforcement) - Good before DHS, and so far, no signs of bastardization...keep up the good work boys.

YEah...lots of progress with DHS. Lots of nothing....