Govt. watchdog warns systems monitoring nuclear weapons could be vulnerable to cyber attacks

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recently released report exposed vulnerabilities for the agency in charge of overseeing nuclear weapons for the United States Government.

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The report says some critical systems are at risk of being hacked.

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According to the report, many of our current nuclear weapons were developed during the cold war, before cyber attacks were a real concern.

However, the government has worked over the last two decades to modernize the digital system for tracking the nuclear stockpile, meaning it also needs to be protected against cyber criminals.

The agency in question is called the National Nuclear Security Administration. It’s in charge of maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and works to reduce the danger from weapons of mass destruction globally.

They work with multiple different agencies, including the FBI, Department of Defense, and Special Forces, “in a defense function for our nation.”

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The report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the NNSA and its contractors have not fully implemented some critical cybersecurity risk practices.

According to the GAO’s findings, without these steps, NNSA limits its “ability to effectively respond to emerging cyber threats.”

The report lists 9 recommendations for NNSA, which includes yearly reviews of its cybersecurity risk management strategy.

Members of Congress have heard testimony over the last year from cybersecurity experts about the growing threat of cyber attacks.

“Our nation is facing unprecedented cybersecurity risks,” Executive Assistant Director for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Eric Goldstein said.

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“DOE/NNSA recognizes the importance of cybersecurity, including nuclear weapon cybersecurity, and has taken positive steps to address the ever-growing digital threat to our programs,” an NNSA spokesperson said in response to the report.

The NNSA says it is taking steps to address each recommendation made in the report.

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