By now it is not surprising when a government security assessment reveals problems. Alberta added themselves to the list with a report of serious lack of security controls and evidence that hackers had already intruded on government networks.
In what sounds like their first ever comprehensive security audit the Auditor-General issued a report that stated they had to curtail an investigation after the first 69 machines they inspected showed major vulnerabilities. They also suffered from the usual instances of passwords taped to keyboards, and loose physical controls on access to their data centers. One step the province took since last May was to hire a single person to oversee security – always a good measure.
Every government network should undergo regular assessments. The goal should be continuous improvement but also immediate slamming of those open doors. Complacency works for the hackers.
