Between 2009 and 2001, NASA employees lost around 50 laptops which contained unencrypted information. In order to eliminate such incidents, as well as any external attacks, NASA has spent no less than $7M.
NASA Inspector General Paul Martin stated that the last known loss of an employee's laptop occurred in March 2011. The unencrypted laptop contained certain codes used for controlling the International Space Station. And that is only one case that came out of NASA's required inspections between 2009 and 2011. According to Mr. Martin, similar incidents have involved the loss of employees' personal information, intellectual property and financial records.
Even in December 2010, when head InfoWatch analyst Nikolai Fedotov commented on the story “Cosmic Computer Sale of NASA's Confidential Information”, he noted that it is necessary to implement an encryption system in employee computers and laptops in Management. However, up to now NASA has ignored the opportunity to protect the information on employees' workstations by means of encrypted codes.
Over the last two years, NASA management has calculated 5408 cases of losing control of information. Those include cyber-attacks, as well as chance and intentional data leaks. The damage comes to no less than $7M..
Nikolai Fedotov, head InfoWatch analyst: “It may be time to approach the problem from a different angle - from the angle of technological producers and salespeople. For example, we could make it illegal to sell computers to NASA, and other state organizations, which are not installed with encryption discs. This method has proved successful in getting the population to observe safety regulations in transport. Specifically, automobile producers were forbidden to produce, and the distributors forbidden to sell, cars without safety belts, mirrors, signals and other means of reducing the chance of a crash. There are much fewer producers than there are consumers, so regulations on them are easier and more reliable.”
