Security Gaps Found in Massive Visa Database

Mike Levine and Justin Fishel, reporting for ABC News: Cyber-defense experts found security gaps in a State Department system that could have allowed hackers to doctor visa applications or pilfer sensitive data from the half-billion records on file, according to several sources familiar with the matter -- though defenders of the agency downplayed the threat and said the vulnerabilities would be difficult to exploit. Briefed to high-level officials across government, the discovery that visa-related records were potentially vulnerable to illicit changes sparked concern because foreign nations are relentlessly looking for ways to plant spies inside the United States, and terrorist groups like ISIS have expressed their desire to exploit the U.S. visa system, sources added.

H1B doctors? And what happens to the us ones?

[Joe_Dragon]

H1B doctors? And what happens to the us ones? Live on the street as there credit and 500+K loans will make it hard to rent or buy a home?

Yes, but that's not the way to do it

[Bruce66423]

Why bother with a visa? Just arrive, and then disappear into the undocumented community. Too much like hard work the other way. No benefit.

Re:

[__aaclcg7560]

Can't keep your own house secure, how dare we try to keep ours so?

More guns? I heard Wal-Mart has a sale on GI Joe bazookas this week.

Good thing HRC kept email pivate

[mdsolar]

Wrong to do official work with a private account, but better than getting hacked.

No way!

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

A State Department system was found to be insecure?

As someone who's dealt with the online State Department software, it would be far more shocking to me if they'd found one that was secure.

Good enough for government work

[Bruce66423]

The local government agency I used to work for was forced to pay a 'market supplement' when, after they carried out a 'job evaluation scheme', their staff disappeared at the height of the last boom. On the whole governments pay peanuts, and 'fail to recruit the most highly skilled'. So they end up paying for mess ups like this. Unfortunately telling legislators that they need to pay their skilled staff properly is something that most governments aren't good at...

Re: Good enough for government work

[pixelpusher220]

And funnily enough one party has been claiming govt is terrible AND defunding it at every turn...amazing that you get what you pay for.

Re:

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

And funnily enough one party has been claiming govt is terrible AND defunding it at every turn...amazing that you get what you pay for.

Spot-on. The Republicans have made hating our government a party plank, and they openly brag to their constituents about how they want to dismantle it and shut it down and "starve it" until it dies. And yet at the same time, they fight like madmen to hold the reins of power. That makes NO DAMN SENSE*.

Look, if you hate the government, that's your business- but don't tell us you hate it and that you also want to run it.

-

* Oddly enough, their constituents are the ones MOST likely to need and use government ass

Re: Good enough for government work

[pixelpusher220]

Voting against their own interests is the current thought about what's going on. This site though says perhaps it isn't. They just aren't voting at all and so only the wealthy/middle class in red States end up voting. http://crooksandliars.com/2015... [crooksandliars.com]

"Difficult to exploit".

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a good thing our enemies are stupid. You know, like the Chinese that now own the OPM systems and data. New fingerprints, anyone?