Federal Agencies Conduct Business in Foreign-Owned Buildings“Federal agencies are among the top targets for cyber criminals, with
many agencies experiencing thousands of attempted attacks daily,” Daines and Duckworth wrote. “Agencies must have the information necessary to assess and address the risks to their high-security facilities, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities that exist in foreign-owned buildings.”
A recent GAO report revealed that
GSA is leasing high-security space from foreign owners to at least 26 federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). These agencies often store sensitive data on site and use the space for classified operations.
Further,
over half of the tenants GAO interviewed for the report were unaware that the space they occupy is in a foreign-owned building. The report outlined the cybersecurity risks associated with operating in foreign-owned space. GAO ultimately concluded that there are inadequate processes and procedures in place to identify foreign-owned buildings and to notify tenants of such ownership.
https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/daines-duckworth-highlight-gsa-cybersecurity-deficiency-in-operations
