Computer hackers for one, apparently. A former consultant entered guilty pleas to four counts of hacking into FBI computer systems.
A government consultant, using computer programs easily found on the Internet, managed to crack the FBI's classified computer system and gain the passwords of 38,000 employees, including that of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.
The break-ins, which occurred four times in 2004, gave the consultant access to records in the Witness Protection Program and details on counterespionage activity, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Washington. As a direct result, the bureau said it was forced to temporarily shut down its network and commit thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars to ensure no sensitive information was lost or misused.
The government does not allege that the consultant, Joseph Thomas Colon, intended to harm national security. But prosecutors said Colon's "curiosity hacks" nonetheless exposed sensitive information.
Colon, 28, an employee of BAE Systems who was assigned to the FBI field office in Springfield, Ill., said in court filings that he used the passwords and other information to bypass bureaucratic obstacles and better help the FBI install its new computer system. And he said agents in the Springfield office approved his actions.
The FBI has spent huge amounts of money on enhancing their computer systems. The contractor was able to gain access using common hacking tools available for free on the internet.
The FBI's struggle to modernize its computer system has been a recurring headache for Mueller and has generated considerable criticism from lawmakers.
Better computer technology might have enabled agents to more closely link men who later turned out to be involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to intelligence reviews conducted after the terrorist strikes.
The FBI's Trilogy program cost more than $535 million but failed to produce a usable case-management system for agents because of cost overruns and technical problems, according to the Government Accountability Office.
While Trilogy led to successful hardware upgrades and thousands of new PCs for bureau workers and agents, the final phase — a software system called the Virtual Case File — was abandoned last year. The FBI announced in March that it would spend an additional $425 million in an attempt to finish the job. The new system would be called "Sentinel."
Why am I not feeling reassured?
Jeez… And I thought it was a myth that you can break FBI, CIA and DOD system with only trying the passwords, like in Swordfish.
And then, it was an almost accurate picture of the security of those departments. I don’t know, I think the CIO should be sacked along with half of the IT Security department for not doing their job.
This points to one of the glaring mistakes conspiracy theorists on the left make. They are always coming up with these vast theories about how the government secretly did this or that.
For the most part, government is too inept to find it’s collective butt with both hands, so to speak.
Hah… you think that the FBI knows about the secret actions of the government?
They don’t even know about the MIB.
I’m sure there will be a report from agent X at some point today!