**GAO-08-526**                      Published: May 21, 2008. Publicly Released: May 21, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

Securing the control systems that regulate the nation's critical infrastructures is vital to ensuring our economic security and public health and safety. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal corporation and the nation's largest public power company, generates and distributes power in an area of about 80,000 square miles in the southeastern United States. GAO was asked to determine whether TVA has implemented appropriate information security practices to protect its control systems. To do this, GAO examined the security practices in place at several TVA facilities; analyzed the agency's information security policies, plans, and procedures against federal law and guidance; and interviewed agency officials who are responsible for overseeing TVA's control systems and their security.

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## Topics

Information Security

Anti-virus softwareComputer networksComputer securityComputer systemsComputer virusesCritical infrastructureCyber securityFacility securityFirewallsIndependent regulatory commissionsIndustrial facilitiesInformation infrastructureInformation managementInformation securityInformation security managementInformation security regulationsInformation systemsInternal controlsIntrusion detection systemsPasswordsPhysical securityPolicy evaluationProgram evaluationProgram managementRisk assessmentSecurity threatsSystem vulnerabilitiesSystems evaluationSystems integritySystems managementSystems monitoringTerrorismPolicies and proceduresProgram implementation