Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) is an independent organization within the executive branch of the United States Government. DNFSB is chartered with the responsibility of providing recommendations and advice to the President and the Secretary of Energy regarding public health and safety issues at Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities. The Board reviews and evaluates the content and implementation of the standards relating to the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of defense nuclear facilities at each Department of Energy defense nuclear facility.

To ensure the ongoing security of their environment, the DNFSB contracted TalaTek to deliver an independent network risk and vulnerability assessment. Services from TalaTek included a gap analysis against federal requirements including Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandates, NIST guidance and FISMA, in alignment with Department of Energy standards. TalaTek also performed a comprehensive vulnerability assessment to identify potential weaknesses and corresponding remediations. As called for by NIST and FISMA, this assessment incorporated independent penetration testing, performed to determine the effectiveness of security measures put in place protect data and assets. In addition to the vulnerability scans and penetration testing, TalaTek also conducted a Social Engineering Campaign across the organization aimed at testing the security awareness and training of DNFSB employees.