The FBI has “significant weaknesses” in the way it handles digital media storage devices as well as how it disposes of media containing sensitive or classified information, a new report says.
Findings from the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General (OIG) indicate that the FBI does not have adequate policies, procedures, or controls in place to account for electronic storage media removed from larger devices and USB drives.
Additionally, it does not label its electronic storage media with the appropriate NSI rating or SBU levels.
New FBI directive
The law enforcement agency did not dispute the findings and instead promised to do better.
“Our audit concluded that the FBI does not adequately protect classified information from NSI or SBU and does not mark all electronic storage media as required or account for these media in accordance with internal FBI policies and Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines,” the report states. “The lack of accountability for these electronic storage media is compounded by inadequate internal physical access and security controls at the facility, potentially putting these media at risk of loss or theft without detection.”
Ultimately, the FBI needs to improve internal physical access and security controls in relevant areas of the facility, the document states.
In the audit, the OIG suggested that the FBI review its procedures to ensure that all electronic storage media containing sensitive or classified information are accounted for, tracked, timely sanitized, and appropriately destroyed, to implement controls to ensure that electronic storage media are properly marked with the correct NSI classification level markings, and to generally strengthen its control and practice.
The FBI acknowledged the findings, BleepingComputer added, and said it was currently drafting a new directive, called the “Physical Control and Destruction of Classified and Sensitive Electronic Devices and Material Policy Directive,” that should address these issues.
Through Computer beeping
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