Lacking were regular scans to identify smartphones accessing its network. Image: NESPIX/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe Postal Service inspector general has raised concerns about the security of agency-issued smartphones at the Postal Regulatory Commission, the latest in a series of warnings from agency IGs on that topic.
A report says that while the commission was “aware it was vulnerable to security risks” and is working with a contractor on a mobile device management policy, “it did not have key components in place to effectively manage the security of its smartphones.”
Such a program should start with inventory control, it said, but the commission was not following its own policies on accounting for the phones, and its records on most of them had missing or incorrect information. Also lacking were regular scans to identify smartphones accessing its network and to verify the accuracy of its inventory by comparing it against the scans, it said.
Further, the existing policies did not cover topics such as what data would be accessible to smartphones, configuration, minimum security requirements, or how they are allotted to employees. And training on mobile device security did not address cybersecurity threats specific to smartphones, such as downloading malicious applications, mitigating phishing attacks and limiting data loss.
The report cited causes including “including prioritization of other projects, limited staffing and funding resources, and critical infrastructure issues.”
It said management agreed with its recommendations to address those issues.
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