U.S. Treasury Vulnerable to Hack?

Last September, there was a government audit of the Treasury conducted by the government. Just recently, the report went public, and analysis of the report indicated some vulnerabilities in the Treasury Foreign Intelligence Network. According to Reuters:

The report, prepared in September 2014, gave no indication the foreign intelligence network had been hacked. But auditors found up to 29 percent of Treasury’s devices connected to the intelligence network did not meet federal cybersecurity standards.

“As a result … devices may not be protected with the most secure recommended configurations, increasing the risk of being compromised,” the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, or OIG, said.

A copy of the audit was obtained on Thursday through a U.S. Freedom of Information Act request. A Treasury official said the OIG had identified a “minor issue on a very secure system.”

Luckily, since the report, the Treasury has resolved the issue.

“Since the release of the audit, Treasury has remedied this matter,” the official said.

The report comes to light following the revelation of the theft by hackers of millions of U.S. government personnel files. America’s intelligence chief has said that hack was linked to China, although U.S. officials say the government does not plan to publicly blame Beijing.

Intelligence analysts use the Treasury’s system to identify overseas threats to America’s economy and finances. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said last year the prospect of a cyber attack on the U.S. financial system was a “real threat” to national security.

With something so important, perhaps the United States government should be more careful.

Source: Reuters