Management Advisory Report: Cybersecurity Breaches Highlight a Need for Improvement in Peace Corps’ Incident Response (IG-24-01-SR)

Submitting OIG:

Peace Corps OIG

Report Description:

The purpose of this report is to bring to your attention needed improvements that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified while reviewing Peace Corps’ response process for cybersecurity incidents and its adherence to Federal and agency requirements. We reviewed the agency’s actions taken during three separate cybersecurity incidents from June 2022 through July 2023.

Date Issued:

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Peace Corps

Component, if applicable:

Agency-wide

Location(s):

Agency-Wide

Type of Report:

Other

Questioned Costs:

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
Breach-Mar-121923Final.pdf	1.59 MB

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
1	Open	No
Office of the Chief Information Officer ensures that the network monitoring software is configured at the appropriate levels to detect and minimize Peace Corps exposure to future cybersecurity attacks.
2	Open	No
Office of the Chief Information Officer implement adequate data logging in compliance with applicable NIST guidance.
3	Open	No
Office of the Chief Information Officer establishes an effective incident response plan to respond to cybersecurity incidents timely.
4	Open	No
Office of Chief Information Officer implements and updates the agency’s cybersecurity incident response plan to align with Manual Section 899 to include the Office of Inspector General and other required offices in breach notifications.
5	Open	No
Office of Chief Information Officer ensures that the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency receive proper notification when Peace Corps is aware of a potential cybersecurity incident.
6	Open	No
Office of Chief Information Officer configures the networking monitoring software to use the available logs and better identify indicators of comprise within the Peace Corps IT environment.
7	Open	No
Office of Chief Information Officer ensures that the Peace Corps network is continuously monitored to mitigate the risk of cyberthreats.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

Open

Office of the Chief Information Officer ensures that the network monitoring software is configured at the appropriate levels to detect and minimize Peace Corps exposure to future cybersecurity attacks.

Open

Office of the Chief Information Officer implement adequate data logging in compliance with applicable NIST guidance.

Open

Office of the Chief Information Officer establishes an effective incident response plan to respond to cybersecurity incidents timely.

Open

Office of Chief Information Officer implements and updates the agency’s cybersecurity incident response plan to align with Manual Section 899 to include the Office of Inspector General and other required offices in breach notifications.