An exclusive Federal News Radio investigation turned up evidence that NASA’s systems were at serious risk for a cyber attack. A cybersecurity company found more than 10,000 pings from NASA’s networks to known malware hosts, some lasting for as long as months. According to multiple sources, the contractor hired to protect NASA’s networks and patch their systems was not doing its job, and NASA’s executives either weren’t aware of the problem or weren’t motivated or empowered to fix it.
Daisy Thornton is Federal News Network’s digital managing editor. In addition to her editing responsibilities, she covers federal management, workforce and technology issues. She is also the commentary editor; email her your letters to the editor and pitches for contributed bylines.