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Security Gaps Found in Massive Visa Database (go.com)
Mike Levine and Justin Fishel, reporting for ABC News: Cyber-defense experts found security gaps in a State Department system that could have allowed hackers to doctor visa applications or pilfer sensitive data from the half-billion records on file, according to several sources familiar with the matter -- though defenders of the agency downplayed the threat and said the vulnerabilities would be difficult to exploit. Briefed to high-level officials across government, the discovery that visa-related records were potentially vulnerable to illicit changes sparked concern because foreign nations are relentlessly looking for ways to plant spies inside the United States, and terrorist groups like ISIS have expressed their desire to exploit the U.S. visa system, sources added.
Oh, visas to the US. I thought it was something important. Never mind
... for a minute there I thought you were going to tell me my credit card was hacked ... again.
"... are relentlessly looking for ways to plant spies inside the United States". The American paranoia and exaggeration in how it's trying to cry wolf and victim is truly limitless.
Cyber-defense experts found security gaps in a State Department system
And OPM systems, and many other government systems... Meanwhile the government claims that encryption is the work of Satan Himself and we shouldn't be allowed to have it. Can't keep your own house secure, how dare we try to keep ours so? Oh man.
If ISIS is interested, then we gotta do something!
This is so weird!
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
This solution is obvious isn't it?
Use Mastecard or American Express instead!
For only they can do all these nasty things.
H1B doctors? And what happens to the us ones? Live on the street as there credit and 500+K loans will make it hard to rent or buy a home?
Wrong to do official work with a private account, but better than getting hacked.
A State Department system was found to be insecure?
As someone who's dealt with the online State Department software, it would be far more shocking to me if they'd found one that was secure.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Why bother with a visa? Just arrive, and then disappear into the undocumented community. Too much like hard work the other way. No benefit.
It's a good thing our enemies are stupid. You know, like the Chinese that now own the OPM systems and data. New fingerprints, anyone?
The local government agency I used to work for was forced to pay a 'market supplement' when, after they carried out a 'job evaluation scheme', their staff disappeared at the height of the last boom. On the whole governments pay peanuts, and 'fail to recruit the most highly skilled'. So they end up paying for mess ups like this. Unfortunately telling legislators that they need to pay their skilled staff properly is something that most governments aren't good at...
Is my MasterCard account safe?
How is it noteworthy that a massive US government database has security flaws?