B.C. auditor general says many government web apps pose cyber security risks

VICTORIA – Cyber security threats, from medium to critical, can be found on more than half of the British Columbia government’s Internet web applications.

In a report released today, Auditor General Russ Jones says 56 per cent of government web applications reviewed in a security audit were not adequately protected and contained one or more cyber security risks.

The report doesn’t name the 80 government web applications scanned for security risks, but says Crown corporations, universities, colleges, schools and health authorities were not part of the audit.

The audit says there are 1,500 of the government applications and 437 are public.

Jones’s audit was among three government Information Technology reviews that examined security, control and spending.

The government’s Office of the Chief Information Officer says ministries are in the process of tightening security weaknesses identified in the audit.