Report Summary

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducts information security inspections to assess whether VA facilities are meeting federal security requirements. These inspections focus on four security control areas that apply to local facilities and have been selected based on their levels of risk: configuration management, contingency planning, security management, and access controls. During this inspection, the OIG found deficiencies with configuration management, security management, and access controls.

Configuration management controls were deficient in vulnerability remediation, the process to identify, classify, and fix weaknesses. Without an effective vulnerability management program, opportunities for exploitation increase.

The security management control deficiency was in system security planning, which is needed for authorizing a system to operate. Without a system security plan or an authorization to operate, and without requiring contractors to adhere to federal and VA security requirements, the facility cannot be sure that security controls will be implemented as required.

The security management deficiencies were in network segmentation, physical access, environmental, audit and monitoring, and records management controls. Without these safeguards, breaches are more likely to occur and harder to detect, and assets are at risk of accidental or intentional destruction.

The assistant secretary for information and technology and chief information officer concurred with all but one of the OIG’s nine recommendations. Regarding his nonconcurrence, the assistant secretary reported that the devices identified by the OIG as lacking required isolation—the finding that resulted in recommendation 4—do not meet the definition for devices subject to this requirement. However, these devices were identified by the facility as containing medical systems and therefore, per VA policy, fall under the medical device isolation architecture guidance. The OIG thus stands by its recommendation.