And this is for the agency that's charged with leading the charge to keep our computers safe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...031501589.html

"DHS Gets Another F in Computer Security"

"Most federal agencies that play key roles in the war on terror are doing a dismal job of protecting their computers and information networks from hackers and viruses, according to portions of a report to be released by a key congressional oversight committee Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with setting the government's cyber security agenda, earned a grade of F for the third straight year from the House Government Reform Committee. Other agencies whose failing marks went unchanged from 2004 include the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, State, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.

The House Government Reform Committee is expected to award the federal government an overall grade of D-plus for computer security in 2005, a score that remains virtually unchanged from 2004.

Several agencies saw a considerable drop in their scores. The Department of Justice went from a B-minus in 2004 to a "D" in 2005, while Interior earned failing marks after getting a C-plus in 2004.

The scores are "unacceptably low," committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) said in a statement. "DHS must have its house in order and should become a security leader among agencies. What's holding them up?""

Is it any surprise that they're failing? TSA's already a mess, and it just goes to show that its other directorates are a mess too.

Can we really count on these guys to keep us safe from terrorists and cyberterrorism?

DHS should never have been created. It's not too late to abolish it.

Sadly, Dear Leader probably won't.

... but I'll bet all the IT techs have to take their shoes off before they fix somebody's computer...

Either that, or enforce a laptop carnival for everyone's protection.

Of course! DHS can't do any work because their laptops are constantly out of their bags and placed in separate bins for x-ray screening! ...and don't forget the random swabs!!!

For some reason, I picture the workers at DHS barefoot, computerless and with really dry hands.

There is a lot of truth to the problem cited that agencies have had to document their existing systems to such a degree that they don't have the money, manpower, or time left to fix the problems they find. That's certainly no excuse, just an explanation and indicative of the larger problems at hand.

I recall a project where we were told we needed to comply with certain standards for information security, but then were told by the customer that those standards were classified and that we would have to get additional clearances for our staff to even see the standards we had to follow. Yet they also demand that those standards be worked into any public release versions of our software so that it's not customized for each and every version to meet their needs... thus I don't see why the standards are classified to begin with, but hey, it's a crazy world.

You've must have seen an SSP then.

Yeah, the paperwork with the government can be inordinate, assinine and unncessary at times, but the jobs still need to be done.

My wife was a school teacher until recently and with the No Child Left Behind Act, they were documenting issues and problems with students that needed to corrected (attendance, poor grades, disabilities, etc). It was like they were covered if they just wrote a report ... they didn't actually have to do anything about it. They spent so much time in meetings and writing stuff that they could do what they really needed to do: help the kids.

True dat.