Government agencies don't do enough after suffering data breaches

The GAO doesn't believe government agencies are prepared to deal with an increasing number of data threats, and struggle if a data breach does occur

By: Michael Hatamoto | Hacking & Security News | Posted: Apr 4, 2014 9:53 pm

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Federal agencies aren't seriously defending against data breaches and personal identifiable information (PII) is increasingly finding its way into the hands of cybercriminals, according to a recent report published from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

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The number of government data breaches increased up to 25,566, twice the amount as reported in 2010 - and affected companies often are unfamiliar with how to respond properly.

The GAO has criticized federal government branches, specifically the Department of the Army, IRS, SEC, and a few other agencies, falling short of mandating information security programs and being lackadaisical about security efforts.

GAO's report notes:

"In December 2013, GAO reported on agencies' responses to PII data breaches and found that they were inconsistent and needed improvement. Although selected agencies had generally developed breach-response policies and procedures, their implementation of key practices called for by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance was inconsistent."

NEWS SOURCES:Gao.gov