Bullseye on DHS websites

Ironically, the Department of Homeland Security is not so secure in its own virtual backyard. According to a new audit report from the agency's Inspector General Richard Skinner, some of the agencies 125 websites are vulnerable to hack attacks.

DHS' nine most frequently visited websites--which include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration--suffer security gaps, according to the security assessment reported by Federal Computer Week.

"These vulnerabilities could put DHS data at risk," says Skinner's report. "In addition, DHS can make improvements in managing its system inventory and providing technical oversight and guidance in order to evaluate the security threats to its public-facing Web sites."

According to FCW, Skinner made six recommendations to fix the vulnerabilities, and DHS officials will soon be making improvements.

For more:
- see the Federal Computer Week article

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