Most Agencies Lack Adequate Cyber Defense, Says Federal Watchdog

Data security programs established by 15 of the 23 federal government’s civilian agencies remain “mostly ineffective” a decade after lawmakers enacted a law designed to improve cybersecurity, according to a report published Tuesday by the US Government Accountability Office.

Despite taking some steps toward meeting obligations under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, many agency computer networks remain “riddled with security vulnerabilities” that, if addressed, could improve the government’s cybersecurity posture, the 61-page report found.

“These vulnerabilities can facilitate security incidents and cyberattacks that disrupt critical operations; lead to inappropriate access to and disclosure, modification, or destruction of ...