Editorial: Techno-challenged FBI

Saturday, July 8, 2006 | 7:42 a.m.

It was the FBI that fortunately recovered the stolen Veterans Affairs Department laptop and hard drive that contained personal data of millions of military personnel. But the bureau has serious security problems of its own.

Court documents have revealed that a government consultant in 2004 used two programs easily available on the Internet to hack into FBI computers and obtain thousands of employee passwords, including Director Robert Mueller's. The consultant gained access to records for the Witness Protection Program and on FBI counterespionage programs, the Washington Post has reported.

The government spent millions of dollars to ensure the data was not misused, and officials do not believe BAE Systems employee Joseph Thomas Colon had malicious intent. Colon, 28, claimed he used passwords to bypass some FBI bureaucratic snags that would slow his work, which included helping the bureau install a new computer system. He lost his job and he faces up to 18 months in prison.

In recent weeks there have been computer breaches at five federal agencies, including Veterans Affairs, that put Social Security numbers and other personal data at risk of theft, prompting President Bush on June 23 to direct civilian agencies to launch new security measures.

It's bad enough when veterans are vulnerable to identity theft. When national security data are breached, it is dangerous and downright chilling.

The FBI has long struggled to update its technology. The bureau recently spent $535 million to improve computer systems, with notable hardware upgrades - and new software failures. Now it plans to spend another $425 million, in part to install a case management software system.

Congress and other accountability watchdogs should keep a close eye on the bureau to assure that it puts technology in place that keeps bad guys - and wayward consultants - out.