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Print 16 comment(s) - last by MoneyisaScam.. on Nov 30 at 7:36 PM

  (Source: Reuters)
Sources say workers involved are being disciplined

With the myriad high-profile hacks and attacks on government and corporate computer systems around the world, it's easy to believe that the U.S. federal government and its many arms would do all they can to keep its networks secure. However, that is not always the case.

Reuters reports that workers at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission failed to encrypt some of their computers that contained highly sensitive information from stock exchanges. The failure to encrypt the information left data vulnerable to cyber attacks according to people familiar with the situation.

The computers left unencrypted reportedly belonged to a small number of employees in an office within the SEC Trading and Markets Division. That particular division is tasked with ensuring that various stock exchanges follow guidelines to protect the markets for potential cyber threats and system problems.
 
That makes it incredibly ironic that the employees tasked with ensuring systems are protected from cyber threats would leave their own computers unprotected.

Some of the staffers are known to have taken the unprotected computers to a Black Hat convention where computer hackers gather. There is no clear indication of why the staffers would have taken unencrypted and unprotected computers into the hackers den.


The SEC insists that no data was breached from the insecure computer systems. However, the SEC was forced to spend around $200,000 to hire a third-party firm to conduct a thorough analysis to come to that conclusion.

Source: Reuters


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RE: Really??
By Ringold on 11/10/2012 2:35:10 PM , Rating: 2
Ever been to a post office? Maybe a DMV? Clerk of courts office?

And, anyway, can't remember the journal, but there's published studies showing government workers, no matter how one controls for outside variables, are less productive. There's no institutional pressure to perform. Even liberal economists would, begrudgingly, agree because, again, there is no institutional pressure for them to. It's not their money, their job security depends only vaguely on performance, and if budgets get busted, usually more magically appears.


RE: Really??
By thirdshop on 11/12/2012 8:46:28 AM , Rating: 2
It's pretty convenient that you forget who published these "studies". So what you're say is facts don't matter, just trust me because I have "studies" backing me up. Is it any wonder R&R lost when they too used the same type of "studies" you are basing your comments upon.

Let me turn this around, ever been to a bank? Maybe your telephone company? Your internet/cable provider?

Anyway can't remember the journal, but there's published studies showing how monopolistic companies, no matter who controls the outside variables are less productive. There's no institutional pressure to perform. Even conservative economist would, begrudgingly, agree because, again, there is no institutional pressure for them to.

I used the same sources you did.


"Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." -- Bill Gates











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