OCTOBER 25, 2018

Government auditors traced a malware infection back to a single porn-watching employee within the U.S. Geological Survey.

An Interior Department watchdog recommended the U.S. Geological Survey ratchet up internet security protocols after discovering its networks had been infected with malware from pornography sites.

The agency’s inspector general traced the malicious software to a single unnamed USGS employee, who reportedly used a government-issued computer to visit some 9,000 adult video sites, according to a report published Oct. 17.

Many of the prohibited pages were linked to Russian websites containing malware, which was ultimately downloaded to the employee’s computer and used to infiltrate USGS networks, auditors found. The investigation found the employee saved much of the pornographic material on an unauthorized USB drive and personal Android cellphone, both of which were connected to their computer against agency protocols.

The employee’s cell phone was also infected with malware.

“Our digital forensic examination revealed that [the employee] had an extensive history of visiting adult pornography websites” that hosted malware, the IG wrote. “The malware was downloaded to [the employee’s] government laptop, which then exploited the USGS’ network.”

The department’s rules of behavior explicitly prohibit employees from using government networks for viewing pornography and other inappropriate activities, and the IG found the employee had agreed to these rules “several years prior to detection.” The employee no longer works at the agency, OIG External Affairs Director Nancy DiPaolo told Nextgov.

Auditors recommended USGS more closely monitor employees’ web browsing and enforce blacklists of prohibited websites. They said proactively identifying and blocking adult websites “will likely enhance preventative countermeasures.”

They also advised the agency to strengthen its IT security policies to stop employees from connecting personal devices to government computers, which could propagate malware on federal networks. USGS guidelines currently prohibit employees from doing so, but the agency hasn’t disabled such connections on government-issued devices.

This isn’t the first time federal employees have been caught browsing explicit content at the workplace.

Over the last 15 years, similar scandals have enveloped the Environmental Protection Agency, Securities and Exchange Commission and IRS. Last year, a D.C.-area news network uncovered “egregious on-the-job pornography viewing” at a dozen federal agencies and national security officials have reportedly found an “unbelievable” amount of child pornography on government devices.


https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/ManagementAdvisory%20_USGSITSecurityVulnerabilities_101718_0.pdf

While I have labored tirelessly, unstintingly & unceasingly for the proliferation of online internet porn, even I am appalled at this. You should use your own accounts for porno. You want it, you pay for it.

I'm not thinking that one guy actually visited 9,000 porn sites.

If this employee was spending so much time on porn then where in the Hell was the manager? Asleep?

Nothing to see here... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not thinking that one guy actually visited
> 9,000 porn sites.


The Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiated an investigation into suspicious internet
traffic discovered during an IT security audit of the computer network at the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS), Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center satellite imaging
facility in Sioux Falls, SD. The audit found indications that USGS employee [NAME REDACTED]
computer was compromised and infected with malware. We sought to confirm how a
compromise occurred.

We found that [NAME REDACTED] knowingly used U.S. Government computer systems to access
unauthorized internet web pages. We also found that those unauthorized pages hosted malware.
The malware was downloaded to [NAME REDACTED] Government laptop, which then exploited the USGS '
network. Our digital forensic examination revealed that- had an extensive history of
visiting adult pornography websites. Many of the 9,000 web pages [NAME REDACTED] visited routed
through websites that originated in Russia and contained malware. Our analysis confirmed that
many of the pornographic images were subsequently saved to an unauthorized USB device and [NAME REDACTED]
personal Android cell phone connected to - Government-issued computer. We found
that- personal cell phone was also infected with malware.

More idiot reporting.

9,000 pages is very different from 9,000 sites.

For a minute there I thought I was missing out on a lot of porn, but no - it's just the media niggering up the facts.