Technology

State database flaws possibly linked to WikiLeaksd

The Washington Post reports on the vast amount of data contained in Net-Centric, whether it belonged there or not.

Federal News Network Staff

January 3, 2011 4:16 pm

< a min read

What does the State Department’s database Net-Centric Diplomacy have to do with WikiLeaks?

Investigators say the site played a critical role.

In the wake of rapid sharing of information at the Pentagon, Net-Centric became an inadvertent repository for a vast array of State Department cables, including records of the U.S. government’s most sensitive discussions with foreign leaders and diplomats.

The Washington Post reports like many bureaucratic inventions, it expanded beyond what its creators had imagined. It also contained risks that no one foresaw.

The database lacked features to detect the unauthorized downloading by Pentagon employees and others of massive amounts of data. The result was a disastrous setback for U.S. diplomatic efforts around the globe.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update brought to you by Tripwire. For more cybersecurity news, click here.