D for NASA, C for EPA: Senate Report Warns Agencies Unprepared for Cyberattacks

The average grade of the large federal agencies was C-minus

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A number of federal agencies are woefully unprepared for cyberattacks, while others "have not met the basic cybersecurity standards necessary to protect America's sensitive data," according to a report released Tuesday by the Senate committee overseeing homeland security.

The committee reviewed the annual audit findings from the internal watchdogs of eight federal agencies — the departments of Homeland Security, State, Transportation, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, along with the Social Security Administration — for fiscal year 2020.

The report, titled "Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data Still at Risk," determined that seven of the agencies have failed to comply with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, which President Barack Obama signed in 2014 to help the government better confront an increase in attacks on departments and agencies.

Overall, the report said, "it is clear that the data entrusted to these eight agencies remains at risk." The average grade of the large federal agencies was C-minus. The Environmental Protection Agency got a C, while NASA got a D.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here. 

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