{"id":29633,"date":"2018-10-29T15:21:08","date_gmt":"2018-10-29T15:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/29\/pentagons-big-audit-will-inspect-for-cybersecurity-flaws-comptroller-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:24:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:24:25","slug":"pentagons-big-audit-will-inspect-for-cybersecurity-flaws-comptroller-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/10\/29\/pentagons-big-audit-will-inspect-for-cybersecurity-flaws-comptroller-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon\u2019s big audit will inspect for cybersecurity flaws, comptroller says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Pentagon Comptroller David Norquist warned government contractors Monday that the first agencywide financial audit<\/a> might reveal \u201ca laundry list\u201d of cybersecurity problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auditors will examine the massive agency\u2019s business systems and cybersecurity procedures to determine whether a hacker can breach them, Norquist told an industry audience at the Vision Federal Market Forecast Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you fielded one of those systems that is vulnerable to cyber intrusions, that is filled with errors in the way it is set up, we need to talk,\u201d Norquist said, “because you\u2019re one of the reasons we\u2019re not passing the audit, and we need you to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The audit will bring tough conversations and business opportunities for innovators, Norquist said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can be part of the group that helps us come up with solutions, you can help your clients and your government organizations fix those problems so they\u2019re not hanging around, getting beaten up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon officials have acknowledged for years that the department, the military services and defense contractors are under persistent cyber probes and attacks, including from state actors seeking to steal data to gain an economic or technological advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Russia and China of using cyberattacks to breach government and commercial networks and systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re into your logistics system, if they\u2019re into payroll system, if they\u2019re [into] your property systems, there are other things they can do that affect operations \u2014 that affect your business that are vastly more destructive \u2014 potentially privacy data,\u201d Norquist said. \u201cWe want to close those doors. We want to know those weaknesses so we can fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norquist suggested he was looking for that corrective action to happen quickly. If a problem is found, the auditors will return the following March to check again, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re fielding a system and it\u2019s not compliant, we will know it all along the way, not simply as it gets to the end,\u201d Norquist said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t