https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pentagon-gave-control-of-millions-of-dormant-ip-addresses-to-florida-company-before-trump-left-office-report/ar-BB1g0vIM?ocid=msedgntp
Pentagon gave control of millions of dormant IP addresses to Florida company before Trump left office: report
The previously unknown Florida company, Global Resource Systems LLC, had obtained control of 56 million Pentagon-owned IP addresses on Jan. 20 and is now nearing 175 million IP addresses.
A reporter went to the address of the company's location, which is inside an office building, but the receptionist told the reporter she couldn't give them any information and asked them to leave, according to the Post.
The Pentagon said the company is being used in a pilot effort to evaluate the Department of Defense's IP address space and ensure there are no "potential vulnerabilities."
"Defense Digital Service (DDS) authorized a pilot effort advertising DoD Internet Protocol (IP) space using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). This pilot will assess, evaluate and prevent unauthorized use of DoD IP address space," DDS Director Brett Goldstein said in a statement emailed to The Hill.
"Additionally, this pilot may identify potential vulnerabilities," Goldstein added.
The company announced its obtainment of the IP addresses only to Border Gateway Protocol, which is in charge of internet traffic.
Its announcement was to tell BGP that IP addresses belonging to the U.S. military were open but had to be routed through the company.
Global Resource Systems began in September and has no public website and no public federal contracts, the Post reported.
"This is one of DoD's many efforts focused on continually improving our cyber posture and defense in response to advanced persistent threats. We are partnering throughout DoD to ensure potential vulnerabilities are mitigated," Goldstein said.
It is unclear why the Pentagon chose this company for its efforts to evaluate the security of its internet space.
It is also unclear what has prompted the Department of Justice to evaluate the IP addresses now after they have been dormant for years.