Cash, IT security threaten NASA Deep Space Network operation

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2902506/security0/cash-it-security-threaten-nasa-deep-space-network-operation.html

By Michael Cooney
Layer 8
Network World
March 26, 2015

Money needed for upgrades to older equipment and IT security issues 
continue to drag on NASA, according to a report issued this week by the 
space agency’s Office of Inspector General.

The report focuses on NASA’s Deep Space Network, which through variety of 
antennas and transmitters at communications complexes in three locations: 
Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia provides 
space missions with the tracking, telemetry, and command services required 
to control and maintain spacecraft and transmit science data. NASA’s 
international partners also use the Deep Space Net.

> From the OIG report: “Much of DSN's hardware is more than 30 years old,
costly to maintain, and requires modernization and expansion to ensure 
continued service for existing and planned missions. Although DSN is 
meeting its current operational commitments, budget reductions have 
challenged the Network's ability to maintain these performance levels and 
threaten its future reliability. Specifically, in FY 2009 the Network 
implemented a plan to achieve $226.9 million in savings over 10 years and 
use most of that savings to build new antennas and transmitters. However, 
in FY 2013 the NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program 
cut the Network's budget by $101.3 million, causing DSN to delay upgrades, 
close antennas, and cancel or re-plan tasks.

[...]

--
Evident.io - Continuous Cloud Security for AWS.
Identify and mitigate risks in 5 minutes or less.
Sign up for a free trial @ https://evident.io/