Cyber Security Today, Jan. 26, 2024 – US government employees slammed for backing forbidden videocam purchases, and more
Welcome to Cyber Security Today. It’s Friday, January 26th, 2024. I’m Howard Solomon, contributing reporter on cybersecurity for ITWorldCanada.com and TechNewsday.com in the U.S. U.S. government technology employees misled a contracting officer with what an investigation called “egregiously flawed” information so 150 Chinese-made video conference cameras could be purchased two years ago. That’s the finding of t he Office of the Inspector General in a report released this week sparked by a whistleblower. The employees worked for the General Services Administration, which purchases products and office space for federal employees. The cameras, which have security vulnerabilities, didn’t comply with government rules forbidding the purchase of equipment from China. The employees didn’t tell the contracting officer that compliant cameras from other sources were available. In fact, the GSA CIO agreed with the staff recommendation, even admitting the cameras ran afoul of the spirit of a Pres