World Bank Shuffles Staff to Address Cyber-Breaches
Duties Stripped from Chief Information Officer;
Sources Say Management ‘Looking for Fall Guy’
(Washington, D.C) – In the wake of recent news reports showing serious breaches of the World Bank’s information security system, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) has learned from sources inside the bank, as well as from an internal Bank announcement, that duties have been stripped from the institution’s Chief Information Officer.
According to previous media reports and internal sources, the Bank’s records, which contain sensitive financial information from borrowing and donor countries, were repeatedly and illicitly accessed over the last year. At the same time, the Bank is trying to downplay the attacks, as it positions itself to assume a prominent role in addressing the global financial crisis. This cyber-breach situation raises troubling questions about its future effectiveness in dealing with the crisis.
“Our sources inside the Bank have said management has been looking for someone to take the fall for these breaches,” said GAP International Program Director Bea Edwards. “The World Bank must ensure that its member countries’ financial records are secure. If the Bank can’t safeguard sensitive information, it can’t be trusted to help with the global financial crisis.”
Last night, Bank Manager Juan Jose Daboub sent out an announcement to bank staffers regarding new personnel addressing the security issues. Part of the message was:
At the request of President Zoellick, Van Pulley will take over responsibility for WBG information security effective immediately and until more permanent arrangements are in place. [emphasis added]
The full announcement can be read on GAP’s Web site here: http://www.whistleblower.org/doc/2008/Kiosk.pdf
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