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U.S. NEWS A3
As Clinton Used Home Email, State’s Networks Failed
KEN DILANIAN
AP Intelligence Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary
Rodham Clinton, the front-
runner for the Democratic
presidential nomination,
has come under fierce criti-
cism for doing business over
personal email while U.S.
secretary of state, putting
sensitive data at risk of be- among the worst agencies in the federal government at protecting its computer networks while
ing hacked. But her com-
munications may not have
been any more secure had
she used a State Depart-
ment email address, judg-
ing by years of indepen-
dent audits that excoriated
the department over poor
cyber security on Clinton’s
watch.
The State Department’s
unclassified email system
was breached by hack-
ers linked to Russia last
year who stole an unspeci-
fied number of emails. The
hackers hit a department
that was among the worst
agencies in the federal
government at protect-
ing its computer networks
while Clinton was secretary
from 2009 to 2013, a situa-
tion that continued to de-
teriorate as John Kerry took
office, according to inde-
pendent audits and inter-
views.
The State Department’s
compliance with federal
cybersecurity standards
was below average when
Clinton took over but grew
worse in each year of her
tenure, according to an
annual report card com-
piled by the White House
based on audits by agency
watchdogs. Network secu-
rity continued to slip after
Kerry replaced Clinton in
February 2013, and remains
Tuesday 20 October 2015
substandard, according to tified in years of internal general haven’t seen it that system had to be cut off
the State Department in- audits, but argue that the way. In December 2013, IG from the Internet in March
spector general. audits paint a distorted Steve Linick issued a “man- while experts worked to
In each year from 2011 to picture of their cybersecu- agement alert” warning eliminate the infestation.
2014, the State Depart- rity, which they depict as top State Department of- Clinton approved signifi-
ment’s poor cybersecu- solid and improving. They ficials that their repeated cant increases in the State
rity was identified by the strongly disagree with the failure to correct cyberse- Department’ information
technology budgets while
In this photo, the sign used as the backdrop for press briefings at the U.S. Department of State is she was secretary, but se-
seen before a news conference at the State Department in Washington. The State Department was nior State Department offi-
cials say she did not spend
Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary from 2009 to 2013, a situation that continued to deteriorate much time on the depart-
as John Kerry took office and Russian hackers breached the department’s email system, accord- ment’s cyber vulnerabili-
ing to independent audits and interviews. ties. Her emails show she
was aware of State’s tech-
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) nological shortcomings,
but was focused more on
inspector general as a “sig- White House ranking that curity holes was putting the diplomacy.
nificant deficiency” that puts them behind most oth- department’s data at risk. Clinton’s campaign staff
put the department’s infor- er government agencies. Based on an audit by Lin- did not respond to repeat-
mation at risk. The latest as- Senior department officials ick, State scored a 42 out of ed and detailed requests
sessment is due to be pub- in charge of cybersecurity 100 on the federal govern- for comment.
lished in a few weeks. would speak only on con- ment’s latest cybersecu- Emails released by the
Clinton has apologized for dition of anonymity. rity report card, earning far State Department from her
her use of a private email “We have a strong cyber- lower marks than the Office private server show Clinton
server for official business security program, success- of Personnel Management, and her top aides viewed
while she was secretary of fully defeating almost 100 which suffered a devastat- the department’s informa-
state. The FBI is investigat- percent of the 4 billion ing breach last year. State tion technology systems as
ing whether her home serv- attempted intrusions we Department officials com- substandard and worked
er was breached. experience each year,” plain the grades are sub- to avoid them.
State Department officials spokesman Mark Toner jective. “State’s technology is
don’t dispute the compli- said. The hack from Russia was so antiquated that NO
ance shortcomings iden- Two successive inspectors so deep that State’s email ONE uses a State-issued
laptop and even high offi-
cials routinely end up using
their home email accounts
to be able to get their work
done quickly and effec-
tively,” top Clinton aide
Ann-Marie Slaughter wrote
in an email to Clinton on
June 3, 2011.
Under Clinton and Kerry,
the State Department’s
networks were a ripe target
for foreign intelligence ser-
vices, current and former
government officials say,
echoing the situation at
OPM, which last year saw
sensitive personnel data on
21 million people stolen by
hackers linked to China.q