The head of information systems at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Stephen Warren, is warning that the agency could soon become overwhelmed by cyberthreats, according to
Defense One.
The VA had seen an marked increase in cyberattacks but was not able to trace them to any particular source. "It is across the board," Warren said, adding that there was no "disincentive" for hackers who wanted to infiltrate the VA's computer system.
Citing 1.19 billion malware instances and 358 million intrusion attempts in March alone, Warren said this represented an increase compared to February when the agency was bombarded by 930 million malware instances and 4.3 million intrusion attempts, Defense One reported.
The VA could reach "the point where we may get overwhelmed" he said, according to Defense One.
The VA was taking all necessary cybersecurity measures, including providing training, system monitoring, and buttressing external network connections. Warren said that more money for cybersecurity and the operational budget could aid the department in dealing with the threats.
The menace faced by the VA was common to other federal agencies, and the Office of Management and Budget has been kept in the loop. "We need to figure out, 'How do we take this on together as a society,'" Warren told Defense One.
The VA has failed to meet the standards of the Federal Information Security Management Act for 16 straight years, according to
The Washington Post.
The vast department, with scores of facilities around the country, employs some 280,000 workers, has an $87.6 billion budget, and 750,000 connected network devices. All 400,000-plus desktops and laptops in the VA network are encrypted.
Warren has submitted a $4.1 billion budget to enhance the
agency's information system network, according to the department.
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