Tuesday, September 25, 2007

What do you suppose is going on here?

CNN reports that Department of Homeland Security computers were hacked:

"Hackers compromised dozens of Department of Homeland Security computers, moving sensitive information to Chinese-language Web sites, congressional investigators said Monday.

Investigators pointed a finger at a government contractor, saying the firm hired to protect DHS computers tried to hide the incidents from the department.

The FBI is investigating the incidents, a congressional staffer said, and two members of Congress have asked the department's inspector general to also launch an investigation.

"The results of our [committee] investigation suggest that the department is the victim not only of cyber attacks initiated by foreign entities, but of incompetent and possibly illegal activity by the contractor charged with maintaining security on its networks," Democratic Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and James Langevin of Rhode Island said in a written statement.

The lawmakers said committee investigators found dozens of DHS computers were compromised and the incidents "were not noticed until months after the initial attacks."

MONTHS?? Well, that should give Whoever a good head start on Whatever it is they plan to do with this information. See, this is what happens when you contract out important jobs to your buddies, instead of keeping them within the auspices of government. Not that government is that much more competent, but at least there's a modicum of oversight. Once things are in the hands of private contractors, anything goes. You'd think they'd know that by now. Oh well, the good news is that Unisys, the company responsible for this monumental fuck-up, will have it on their performance record if they compete for the contract again. HUH??!