Pentagon computer security upgrade far behind schedule

WASHINGTON – The number of reported attempts to penetrate Pentagon computer networks rose dramatically in the last decade, from fewer than 800 in 1996 to more than 160,000 last year – thousands of them successful. At the same time, the nation’s ability to safeguard sensitive data in those and other government computer systems is becoming obsolete as efforts to make improvements have faltered and stalled.

A National Security Agency program to protect secrets at the Defense Department, intelligence and other agencies, is seven years behind schedule, triggering concerns that the data will be increasingly vulnerable to theft, according to intelligence officials and unclassified internal NSA documents obtained by the Baltimore Sun.

When fully implemented, the program would build a new encryption system to strengthen protections on computer networks, and would control the access of millions of people to government computer systems and buildings more effectively.

Launched in 1999, the program was to have been completed last year, but fell behind in part because of differences between the NSA and the Pentagon. The NSA is trying to revamp the program, although the deadline has slid to 2012, with the most substantive security improvements planned for 2018.

An internal NSA report in April 2005 described the problem as “critical,” noting that 30 percent of the agency’s security equipment does not provide “adequate” protection; another 46 percent is approaching that status.

“Much of the existing cryptographic equipment is based on … technologies that are 20-30 plus years old,” said the report. At the same time, it noted, technology for breaking into computer systems has improved, which “gives our adversaries enhanced capabilities.”

Pentagon computers, in particular, are under constant attack. Recently, Chinese hackers were able to penetrate and steal data from a classified computer system serving the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to two sources familiar with the incident. A security team spent weeks eliminating the breach and installing additional safeguards.

The Pentagon declined interview requests for two information security officials, but a spokesman said in a written statement that the NSA is assisting the Pentagon continually to “maintain best security practices” and raise the level of information security.

NSA spokesman Don Weber said in a statement that because information security is a core mission of the agency, “Any speculation that we, along with our partners, would leave national security systems vulnerable is unfounded.”