A recent report by the US Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) revealed that the agency conducted a simulated data breach to test the security of its cloud infrastructure. The purpose of the test was to evaluate the effectiveness of the department’s cloud security and data loss prevention solution.
Key Takeaway
The US Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General conducted a simulated data breach to assess the security of its cloud infrastructure, revealing significant vulnerabilities and the potential risk to sensitive personal information of federal employees.
Testing the Cloud Security
Between March 2022 and June 2023, the OIG performed a series of tests to assess the security measures of the Department of the Interior’s cloud infrastructure. The tests involved creating fake personal data using an online tool called Mockaroo, which was designed to mimic valid data that could potentially bypass the department’s security tools.
The OIG team then utilized a virtual machine within the department’s cloud environment to simulate a sophisticated threat actor attempting to exfiltrate data using well-known techniques. Despite not installing any additional tools or software, the OIG successfully conducted over 100 tests within a week without being detected or prevented by the department’s cybersecurity defenses.
Findings and Recommendations
The report highlighted critical weaknesses in the department’s security measures, emphasizing that the lack of adequate security measures put sensitive personal information of federal employees at risk of unauthorized access. The OIG acknowledged the challenges of preventing a well-resourced adversary from breaching the system but suggested that improvements could mitigate the risk of data exfiltration.
