LANL Fails Again on Cybersecurity Efforts

New security weaknesses have been idenfied in a recent GAO audit of Los Alamos computer systems. Having been a network and security manager, briefly in the 1990s, this comes as no real surprise. But, I would have thought after a spate of incidents in the past 13 years since I left to form my own company, they would have figured out a better way to protect their classified networks.

Los Alamos National Laboratory has spent $45 million to secure its classified computer network between fiscal years 2001 and 2008, according to a report issued Friday by the Government Accountability Office, yet significant weaknesses remain in safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information stored on and transmitted over its classified computer network.

The audit, requested by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, cites Los Alamos’ management as saying funding for its core classified cybersecurity program has been inadequate for implementing an effective program during fiscal years 2007 and 2008.

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