US Gov data at risk after employee searched for illicit content

A United States Department of Education employee put Government data at risk after acquiring a computer virus whilst searching for illegal content.

According to documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request by the DailyMail.com, the employee typed in at least 18 illicit searches on his computer, which infected the computer with malware.

The malware makes software vulnerable to cyber criminals, who can access data by logging keystrokes or monitoring the computer’s activity. This put information, including data about student loans, at risk.

Documents which detailed the investigation carried out by the Department of Education’s Inspector General revealed that the employee contracted the virus after searching for images ‘that could be construed as child exploitation’.