US Government Accountability Office Sounds Alarm About Critical Cybersecurity Challenges

Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• In a report to Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the cyber threat environment is throwing challenges at public and private sector entities alike that put national security, the economy, the environment, and human safety at risk. As evidence, the GAO cited the fact that federal agencies reported 30,659 cybersecurity incidents to the Department of Homeland Security’s US Computer Emergency Readiness Team in 2022.

• The report urged government agencies to work in tandem with the private sector to ward off threats.

A GAO report to Congress flagged the serious, and in many cases unaddressed, risks that could jeopardize national security. Since 2010, the agency has recommended to other agencies 1,610 steps to close security gaps. The current cyber risk report noted that nearly 600 of these haven’t been acted upon, putting the security of federal systems and critical infrastructure at risk. The GAO blamed a mix of competing budget priorities, communications failures, and the inability of some agencies to accurately measure outcomes.

US Surgeon General Wants a Warning Label for Social Media

Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy calls for a warning label for social media to educate adolescents and adults about the links between the medium and negative mental health effects.

• Referencing research that ties adolescent depression, poor body image, and harassment to social media consumption, Murthy says that while a warning label will not correct the issues, it would go a long way toward educating the public about the potential for harm associated with sites like Snapchat and Instagram.

Social media companies have long been under fire for using algorithms to manipulate sometimes vulnerable populations into viewing potentially harmful content. By its nature, social media encourages overuse to the point of near-addiction. Research has uncovered links between anxiety and depression in adolescents and social media use. A JAMA Network survey of 6,595 US adolescents finds that spending just 30 minutes on social media leads to an increase in internalizing issues and becoming depressed. The longer the session, the higher the rate of anxiety and depression. The study indicates that teenagers who spend three or more hours daily on social media are at a higher risk for mental health issues.