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Security Breaches

(Sigh). Just when we thought we could start the weekend with some happy news, some terribly sad news breaks at NASA. Police say a NASA contract worker who barri...

Federal News Network Staff

April 20, 2007 1:09 pm

1 min read

By Amy Morris

(Sigh). Just when we thought we could start the weekend with some happy news, some terribly sad news breaks at NASA. Police say a NASA contract worker who barricaded himself in an office building at Johnson Space Center killed himself and a hostage. A second hostage, who was bound with tape, was apparently unharmed.

More troubling news – the Social Security numbers of up to 150,000 people who received Agriculture Department grants have been posted on a government Web site since 1996, but were taken down last week. Free credit monitoring is being offered to those affected. We talked about it with Adam Hughes, Director of Federal Fiscal Policy for OMB Watch. He says you can call a special toll-free number for help; 1-800-FED INFO. Learn more when you click here to hear the interview.

If you’re more worried about your agency’s computer system being hacked, we can help. Alan Paller is Director of Research with the SANS Institute. He says they learned some pretty interesting things when officials from the Departments of Commerce and State appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee’s cyber-security panel. Looks like FISMA is going to get something of a makeover. Click here to hear the interview.

I have taken an informal poll and the results are in. This has been an excruciatingly long week. There are many theories, and ultimately it doesn’t matter why (but I think we all can hazard a few guesses). What matters is that as this week draws to a close, you spend a couple of hours with us for your Daily Debrief. Oh, and the weather? Fabulous!

We’ll be back Monday.