Transportation agencies called vulnerable to cyberattacks

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0901/092701j1.htm

By Joshua Dean
jdean () govexec com 
September 27, 2001 

The Transportation Department and its operating agencies are
vulnerable to computer attacks, according to a newly released report
from the departments inspector general.

This report presents the first big picture on security at DOT, said
David Barnes, spokesman for the IGs office. The report focuses
primarily on security deficiencies in the Federal Aviation
Administrations air traffic control system and on the Coast Guards
disaster recovery capabilities.

The report was required under the 2001 Government Information Security
Reform Act, which mandated an annual independent evaluation of
agencies information security programs.

Investigators were most concerned about the FAAs planned upgrade to
its telecommunications system and its repercussions on information
security.

The most significant network security issue we identified concerns
FAAs plans to place its air traffic control systems, which now operate
on a dedicated network, and its administrative systems on one
integrated network with direct connections to the Internet, the report
said. We found that while FAA asked vendors to propose security
solutions for the integrated network, it did not adequately evaluate
security for air traffic control systems.

Of the FAAs 400 air traffic control systems, the IG found FAA planned
only to certify 40 of those as being secure before awarding a contract
to connect the agency to the Internet. The IG agreed with the FAAs
goal of integrating all networks supporting air traffic control.
However, the report encouraged the FAA to keep its administrative
network separate from the air traffic control network.

The FAA has since deferred awarding one contract pending resolution of
the security issue, the report said.

The IGs report also concluded that the Transportation Department as a
whole was deficient in protecting information systems. We identified
weaknesses in firewall security that allowed us to gain unauthorized
access from the Internet to about 270 computers located within DOTs
private networks, said the report.

The IG also expressed concern about weaknesses in safeguarding access
to computers at DOT agencies. The report identified numerous access
weaknesses, such as systems that allowed unlimited password attempts
or failed to make passwords expire on pre-established dates, a failure
to prevent unauthorized remote access, a lack of encryption of
financial data and weak oversight of contractors working on DOT
information systems.

Barnes noted that while the FAA has made significant strides in
conducting background checks on contractors, other Transportation
agencies have not. The FAA reported it has conducted background checks
on 85 percent of its contractors, while the departments other agencies
averaged just 25 percent.

The report criticized Transportations critical infrastructure
protection efforts and said its disaster recovery and system
contingency plans were inadequate. The IGs office singled out the
Coast Guard as a prime offender. If its main data center experiences
prolonged service disruptions, [the] Coast Guard would have difficulty
in recovering its search and rescue system, the report said.

The IGs office acknowledged that the department has made strides in
cybersecurity and protecting privacy. However, the report said, as
evidenced by the recent Code Red worm attack, which caused service
disruptions to more than 100 DOT computers, including Web sites,
maintaining Web security and privacy protection remains a challenge.



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