Federal Drive

GAO applauds DHS critical infrastructure protection plan

Some ex-employees turn to cybercrime

Federal News Network Staff

April 8, 2010 8:30 am

1 min read

Cybersecurity Update – Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Jane Norris (6-10 a.m.) and The Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris (3-7 p.m.). Listen live at FederalNewsRadio.com or on the radio at 1500 and 820 AM in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

The Homeland Security Department’s received high grades from government auditors for keeping on top of critical infrastructure protection. The Government Accountability Office praised a recent update of the DHS National Infrastructure Protection Plan. The plan deals with protecting power distribution, water treatment and supply, telecommunications, national defense and emergency services, including the cyber systems that control them. SC Magazine reports, the GAO liked the risk management approach taken by DHS and its emphasis on regional approaches to cyber breaches.
A slumping economy fuels a rise in cybercrime coming from within organizations. A Verizon report on data loss found that 2-in-10 breaches last year came from people with insider knowledge of firms. And that number is going up. The San Fransisco Chronicle cites local law enforcement as saying the inability to find employment has been a recurrent motivation behind new cases of identity theft and software piracy.