Jacob: New page: ==Full Title of Reference== Information Security - Concerted Effort Needed to Consolidate and Secure Internet Connections at Federal Agencies ==Full Citation== GAO, ''Information Secur...

2010-06-17T15:18:19Z

New page: ==Full Title of Reference== Information Security - Concerted Effort Needed to Consolidate and Secure Internet Connections at Federal Agencies ==Full Citation== GAO, ''Information Secur...

New page

==Full Title of Reference==

Information Security - Concerted Effort Needed to Consolidate and Secure Internet Connections at Federal Agencies

==Full Citation==

GAO, ''Information Security - Concerted Effort Needed to Consolidate and Secure Internet Connections at Federal Agencies'' (2010). Report to Congressional Requesters and prepared by the Government Accountability Office. [http://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=120785&coll=public''web'']

[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/?title=Special:Bibliography&action=viewsource&startkey=GAO:2010&f=wikibiblio.bib ''BibTeX'']

==Categorization==

Overview: [[Government Reports]]

Issues: [[Government Networks (.gov)]]; [[Information Sharing/Disclosure]]; [[Government Organization]]

==Key Words==

[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/Glossary_of_Core_Ideas#Einstein Einstein], [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/Glossary_of_Core_Ideas#Department_of_Homeland_Security Department of Homeland Security], [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/Glossary_of_Core_Ideas#Computer_Network_Attack Computer Network Attack],

==Synopsis==

The goals of TIC are to secure federal agencies’ external network connections,
including Internet connections, and improve the government’s incident
response capability by reducing the number of agencies’ external network
connections and implementing security controls over the connections that
remain. In implementing TIC, agencies could either provide their own access
points by becoming an access provider or seek service from these providers
or an approved vendor. To achieve the initiative’s goals, agencies were
required to

• inventory external connections,
• establish a target number of TIC access points,
• develop and implement plans to reduce their connections,
• implement security capabilities (if they chose to be an access provider)
addressing such issues as encryption and physical security, and
• demonstrate to DHS the consolidation of connections and compliance
with the security capabilities (if they chose to be an access provider).

As of September 2009, none of the 23 agencies had met all of the requirements
of the TIC initiative. Although most agencies reported that they have made
progress toward reducing their external connections and implementing
critical security capabilities, most agencies have also experienced delays in
their implementation efforts. For example, the 16 agencies that chose to
become access providers reported that they had reduced their number of
external connections from 3,286 to approximately 1,753. Further, agencies
have not demonstrated that they have fully implemented the required security
capabilities. Throughout their reduction efforts, agencies have experienced
benefits, such as improved security and network management. However, they
have been challenged in implementing TIC because OMB did not promptly
communicate the number of access points for which they had been approved
and DHS did not always respond to agency queries on security capabilities in
a timely manner. Agencies’ experiences with implementing TIC offered OMB
and DHS lessons learned, such as the need to define program requirements
before establishing deadlines and the usefulness of sponsoring collaborative
meetings for agencies’ implementation efforts.

Einstein is intended to provide DHS with an increased awareness of activity,
including possible security incidents, on federal networks by providing
intrusion detection capabilities that allow DHS to monitor and analyze
agencies’ incoming and outgoing Internet traffic. As of September 2009, fewer
than half of the 23 agencies had executed the required agreements with DHS,
and Einstein 2 had been deployed to 6 agencies. Agencies that participated in
Einstein 1 improved identification of incidents and mitigation of attacks, but
DHS will continue to be challenged in understanding whether the initiative is
meeting all of its objectives because it lacks performance measures that
address how agencies respond to alerts.

==Additional Notes and Highlights==

Contact: Gregory C. Wilshusen (202) 512-6244 or wilshuseng@gao.gov

Information Security - Revision history

Jacob: New page: ==Full Title of Reference== Information Security - Concerted Effort Needed to Consolidate and Secure Internet Connections at Federal Agencies ==Full Citation== GAO, ''Information Secur...