Energy Department threatened by cyber attacks, report says

Friedman identifies a 60 percent increase in cybersecurity weaknesses at the Energy Department when compared to fiscal year 2010. Many of the weaknesses identified by the IG last year — 11 of 35 — have not yet been fixed, the report says.

“Although the Department made progress addressing previously identified conditions, we continued to find weaknesses similar in type and risk level to those identified during our FY 2010 review,” the report says.

Citing “security concerns,” the IG report does not offer any detail on the type and scope of cyber attacks on the Energy Department. It also does not detail which Energy Department agencies are most vulnerable to attacks.

The DOE has a wide range of responsibilities, including securing the country’s nuclear weapons.

The report recommends that the Energy Department develop a series of procedures to secure and monitor various networks and systems.

The Energy Department said that it agreed with the recommendations in the report and is working to address many of the issues raised by the IG. Officials at the National Nuclear Security Administration “expressed concern with our characterization of the scope, severity, and cause of the issues presented in our report,” the report says.