FDA Has Not Fully Executed Data Security Measures, GAO Finds

The FDA faces a significant number of security vulnerabilities that threaten the confidentiality and integrity of its industry and public health data, a congressional watchdog said.

Lapses in the FDA’s safeguarding of agency information systems led to 87 security weaknesses, a report from the Government Accountability Office said Thursday.

Most of the weaknesses identified in the report involved the agency’s access controls, which are intended to prevent, limit, and detect unauthorized access to computer resources. Access control deficiencies accounted for 58 of the vulnerabilities, and exposed the agency’s network to risks of remote access, the report said.