The systems that coordinate our country’s nuclear weapons function using floppy disks and an IBM series/1 computer that uses an operating system from the 1970’s, according to a report released by the federal government Wednesday May 25.
The report released by the US Government Accountability Office reviewed the federal government’s annual spending on information technology (IT), specifically noting how efficiently the government spends money to maintain and operate existing IT systems.
The automated control system, that coordinates everything from intercontinental ballistic missiles to nuclear bombers, to this day uses an 8 inch floppy disk that was invented in the 1960’s and prominently used during the early 1970’s.
For those who don’t know, a floppy disk is a flat cartridge which was used to store data for programs like operating systems or video games. It’s difficult to describe but if you have ever used Microsoft word for any amount of time, then you saw a floppy disk every time you hit the save button.
The report calls spending on maintaining legacy systems that no longer have support or replacement services wasteful. But there is more at stake than cost efficiency. According to the report, “the government runs the risk of maintaining systems that have outlived their effectiveness.”
The Defense Department has plans to upgrade its software and hardware by the end of the 2017 fiscal year, which is good news for fans of homeland security. However The Department of the Treasury which was also flagged by the report for using IT over 50 years-old does not have any specific plans to upgrade their system.
The Department of the Treasury keeps data for taxpayer accounts, incomes and refunds on an IBM mainframe that uses a “hard to use” and outdated code. They do have general plans to update their system but there is nothing concrete associated with the transition.
In the meantime the Office of Management and Budget has drafted guidelines for federal agencies as part of an initiative to phase out legacy IT however that policy has not yet been finalized.
