Defense Dept. Removes Critical Report from Website

The report, by the DoD’s inspector general, found security flaws in the “Star Wars” missile defense system. After a magazine did a story on the report, the DoD scrubbed the document from its website, and won’t say why it did so. Luckily for us curious types, the magazine saved a digital copy. (h/t: ThinkProgress)
Wait, before you go…Federal Computer Week:
The Defense Department has removed from the DOD inspector general’s Web site a critical report that states that the network that links radar systems, missile sites and command centers for the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) ground-based defense system has serious flaws in the security technologies, policies and procedures needed to protect the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information on the network.
Federal Computer Week published a Web article March 16 and a follow-up print article today about the report, which states that MDA and Boeing, the prime contractor for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system and the GMD Communications Network (GCN) have allowed the use of group passwords on the unencrypted portion of the GCN rather than requiring individual passwords.
The report also faults MDA and Boeing for the lack of automated audit trails — essential to catch inside or outside threats — on the network.
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.