VAs users manual for hackers BY Judi Hasson 05/12/2000 RELATED STORIES

Hackers could exploit at least 18 vulnerable spots in computer systems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to an internal VA memo.

The memo is so sensitive that it has been described as a "users manual for hackers" by some government officials who have read it, and it has not been released to the public.

VA information system security is so weak that it continues to be a target for unauthorized access and destruction of data, said Richard Griffin, the VAs inspector general, speaking before the House Veterans Affair Committees Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on Thursday.

Among the problems are old passwords belonging to employees who left government four or five years ago, according to sources. Two months ago, the VA instituted a policy of changing passwords every three months and using characters besides letters for the password. But that may not be enough to prevent hacking.

Last week, the "Love Bug" attack on more than a dozen government agencies forced the VA to shut down its e-mail system for 24 hours, disabling communications with VA hospitals across the country, Griffin said.

Joel Willemssen of the General Accounting Office, who also testified, gave the VA a barely passing grade for its computer system. Among the problems Willemssen cited:

* The VA has not implemented a departmentwide computer strategy.

* Its master veterans record project (Vetsnet) is not operational.

* The department cannot account for the $1 billion its spends each year on information technology.

"In short, they cant balance the books," said the subcommittee chairman, Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.).

The VA has "wasted hundreds of millions of dollars," Everett said. "Its performance departmentwide is completely unacceptable. You just couldnt get away with it in the real world."

The VA is seeking $1.4 billion for fiscal 2001 for IT, an increase from $1.2 billion in fiscal 2000.

Meanwhile as security concerns grow, the Senate defense authorization bill includes $78 million to train college students in cyberdefense skills.

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/0508/web-va-05-12-00.asp

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), May 13, 2000