The federal government fails to encrypt its own data

Posted by Caitlin on July 31st, 2008

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The United States Government Accountability Office recently released an information security report which states that at 24 major U.S. agencies, 70% of sensitive information on laptops and mobile devises was unencrypted as of last September. For the purposes of this report, sensitive data includes personal medical records, other personal information, law enforcement data and records essential for homeland security.

According to the report, "While all agencies have initiated efforts to deploy encryption technologies, none had documented comprehensive plans to guide encryption implementation activities. As a result, federal information may remain at increased risk of unauthorized disclosure, loss, and modification." The report also points out that the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) requires agencies to protect their data, as do other laws. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been recommending that agencies encrypt all sensitive data on laptops since 2006. Many agencies have failed to do so, and many agencies have reported missing or stolen laptops.

Representative Bennie Thompson and Representative Zoe Lofgren, both of whom are members of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, expressed disappointment with U.S. agency encryption efforts when the GAO report was released on Monday. Lofgren, a California Democrat, stated that federal agencies "lag far behind the private sector" when it comes to protecting and encrypting data.

Sensitive data loss can put countless American citizens at risk for identity theft. To learn more about identity theft protection services, view our reviews and comparison. If you are interested in learning about what you can do to protect the data on your own laptop, click here to read about security software.

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