Government

Report: Government Computers Attacked or Probed Millions of Times a Day

(The Blaze/AP)- A new GAO report says that the federal government must come up with a game plan to bolster its cyber security efforts against the millions of probe and attack efforts that occur every day.

Report: Government Computers Attacked or Probed Millions of Times a Day

U.S. Cyber Command Logo

While most of this illicit cyber activity falls into the less nefarious category of a probe, the sheer volume and repetition of these online surveillance attempts are a major cause for concern. And the government isn’t moving fast enough to safeguard its endless digital cache against them.

The Pentagon is taking steps to defend against this threat, most notably with the creation of Cyber Command. But the GAO report indicates that the implementation of cyber security from the local to federal government levels is falling behind and clearer guidelines for training staff and resource allocation must be developed soon.

With the recent CIA and Senate hacks, developing cyber protections is becoming increasingly more important.

Comments (37)

  • Verum Ad Potentia
    Posted on June 22, 2011 at 7:41pm

    Yeah, let’s put all our medical records online in government computers…(insert sarcastic tone)…what could possibly go wrong?

    Report Post » Verum Ad Potentia  
  • Magyar
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:35pm

    OK put on your thinking caps — Seem like there’s been an awful lot of hacking going on? Don’t you find this rather curious, folks?

    Report Post »  
  • christianUSA
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 5:32pm

    Oh Oh I have an idea lets let the government strip us of all our rights and have total power to prove and control all the internet and all server hubs all in wants, (like it is to no avail), to keep us safe from any liberty we once had to defeat the enemies of freedom .
    do They really not know who and where, so what is really stopping them from taking action?
    Why do they not cut web communications from source at the hubs?

    Report Post »  
  • Gavinwcaf
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 1:43pm

    American secure computer systems needs to send a worm resembleing the iran nucular worm back to the hackers and wipe out the total network of anyone involved in this action whether an individual or Country. do it now. make them pay for there Fascism. we may even wipe out the whitehouse computer.

    Report Post » Gavinwcaf  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:33am

    Big Brother is here. These are the same people who complained about the Bush administration’s wiretaps of conversations from the US to foreign countries. Senator Leahy was the most vocal, and got plenty of MSM play way back then. Double standard to the extreme! What a bunch of phonies!

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • rogue operator
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:43am

    Government creates cyber czar. Suddenly and mysteriously, online attacks on government computers become “rampant.” Government cracks down on online free speech. What a shock that will be.

    Report Post » rogue operator  
  • rgalunas
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 5:24am

    think of all the jobs that would come back and be created if we did shut down the Internet for even 1 day!

    Report Post »  
  • rgalunas
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 5:21am

    We need to shut down the interent www or 666 in hebrew for 1 year every 7 years if we want to survive. My deepest opinion and concern even more than naked shorting and the currency crisis!

    Report Post »  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 5:15am

    Look at the Logo. A cyberglobe behind the eagle with a thunder bolt, key. and what looks like crossed swords. What me worry?

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • tomathy
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:57am

    We don’t need the Cyber Security Act, it’s like the patriot act for the internet.

    There is an easy way to solve this “problem”, don’t put critical systems on the internet!!!

    Report Post »  
  • nomercy63
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:56am

    And how much do we pay for this crap!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
    • RepubliCorp
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 1:15am

      Lots…. most likely the probes are done by the same people protecting the network $ kerching

      Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • Chett
    Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:29am

    Why does the gov not use a private network for sensitive data? I think we are seeing a ramp up of excuses to control the net and shut us up.

    Report Post »  
    • Ron_WA
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 1:19am

      In the military, State Dept & other critical agencies we do – it’s all encrypted behind NSA approved ciphers but there still a lot of critical industry &infrastructure pieces both in the private & public sector which are not fully protected unless we want to go to the autocratic, fascist state design & tell them how they WILL do business.

      Report Post » Ron_WA  
  • Ron_WA
    Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:47pm

    This has been going on since Chris was a corporal. Cyber attacks against military computers were happening back when I got into that aspect of the business in 1989 & I know it happened way before then. The military set up both offensive & defensive activities back in the ‘90s (possibly sooner in less structured forms).

    Cyber Command is just a new more public name for existing capabilities. DoD has been trying to spread the defensive capabilities to other govt. agencies, communities & industry for over a decade.

    This is where the Nation could be very vulnerable to a virtual Pearl Harbor.

    Report Post » Ron_WA  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:54pm

      I would say combine that with 9/11 as well. In many ways we are wide open.

      Report Post » Stoic one  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:18am

      @Ron Wa and Stoic One:

      I do have to agree across the board; see my earlier posting for more of my input on it if you wish.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Texas Grasshopper
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 1:33pm

      why put that information on a system that can be hacked ..isnt there a way to physical seperate the systems ? …this is just stupid . Tech is great but damm ..this is just stupid

      Report Post »  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:37pm

    .
    Government Computers Probed Millions of Times a Day, I thought Weiner resigned…..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • miles from nowhere
    Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:34pm

    It propably has something to do with that transparentcy issue Obama promised and nobody in the public get to have with this regime.

    Report Post »  
  • 101
    Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:32pm

    Buy Norton ant-virus

    Report Post »  
    • TheGreyPiper
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:36pm

      Jeebus Xmas, no, Norton is dam near a virus itself. Zone Alarm, or even better, Comodo. Comodo kicks a$$ and it’s free.

      Report Post » TheGreyPiper  
  • jzs
    Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:27pm

    Okay everyone, let’s pile on Obama and say this is all his fault. Or we could be worried about the threat to this country.

    Report Post » jzs  
    • TheGreyPiper
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:35pm

      Oh look! It’s trying to talk, just like a real boy, how precious! I wonder what it thinks it’s saying?

      Report Post » TheGreyPiper  
    • TheCenturion
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:37pm

      I just think it’s funny that someone is watching big brother for a change.

      Seriously though, this is a big problem.

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:42pm

      Do not allow the government to abuse this crisis by trying to regulate the Internet!

      Report Post »  
    • thepatriotdave
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:45pm

      I only hope that we are probing the computer systems of our enemies around the world. If we find one country that is trying to probe our systems, then it is our duty to return the favor.

      JZS, and if it makes you feel better… Everything that sucks is Obama’s fault!

      http://www.AMillionGoWest.com – Help us get 1 million signatures on a petition that asks Allen West to run for President in 2012.

      Report Post » thepatriotdave  
    • jzs
      Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:55pm

      thepatriotdave says, “Everything Obama does sucks.” Dave, you’re an honest man, something I appreciate.

      Report Post » jzs  
    • John 3:16
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:07am

      @Thegraypiper….Now that is funny!!!

      Report Post » John 3:16  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:17am

      @JZS

      I will not hold just Obama responsible for this, though I do expect him and the progressives to use it as one more reason for net neutrality and such control over the last truly free and independant area of business and free speech.

      The enemies of the US are numerous, from hacking groups, terrorists, state sponsored probes and attacks, and many other indepednats who just wish to say ‘that was me who messed everything up for the nation.’

      Understand, if a nation seeks to cripple us with a cyberwarfare attack, there is a fairly good chance they will succeed to various degrees; dependant on the economic, political, or military targets, or the infrastructure dependant on the internet and computer systems.

      In the case of a terrorist band, they only need to make one successful attack, scoring a coup to make headlines, and force our nation to change once again as after the 9/11 attack. We can see the happenings of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, the TSA, and a socialist radical progressive POTUS now in office using these to his agenda’s advantage.

      Consider strongly where we will stand in the nation, individually and as a group, when, not if, the next event does happen.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • KickinBack
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 1:12am

      Hacked computer : “Do you want to play a game?”

      Report Post » KickinBack  
    • Ronko
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:42am

      Developing Cyber Protection, I’ve got a better more radical idea, how about we find these hackers and put them in jail.

      Report Post »  
    • Eraldo NY Tea Party
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 9:39am

      WWIII just starting.

      God bless

      Report Post » Eraldo NY Tea Party  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 10:36am

      @SNOWL.. is right – the left isn’t CAUSING this – Of course, this is NOT NEWS. This has always been the case. The fact that they are HIGHLIGHTING it and MAKING a news story out of it IS THE NEWS.
      They are creating a narrative that will be used (as snowleopard stated) to cram net-neutrality down our throats. We MUST educate our representatives about technology, otherwise, they are liable to go along with it out of FEAR ALONE. WE THE PEOPLE must educate each other as to the real issues here, and NOT sacrifice our liberties in order to achieve short term PERCEPTION of safety. The left wants to CONTROL the internet. They want to CONTROL free speech – TRUTH is their enemy – so they NEED to crush it. The only way to crush the TRUTH is to stop people from speaking the truth.
      If they cannot legislate it in Congress, they will use the FCC to do their dirty work as “policy”.

      The GOOD NEWS is, all these socialist policies will disappear on Jan 21, 2013!!!

      VOTE FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY IN NOVEMBER 2012!
      FIRE OBAMA, GET A JOB!

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • JRook
      Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:38am

      Another good example of how well the DOD spends taxpayer money, and more importantly how well they evaluate the goods and services being provided by the big corporations that feed from the DOD trough.

      Report Post »  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love