NASA Office of Inspector General - History and Mandate

History and Mandate

The NASA Office of Inspector General was created in accordance with the Inspector General Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452). The act created Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) to provide independent audit and investigative units at 63 federal agencies, including NASA.

NASA OIG's Computer Crimes Division (CCD) has had a number of successes with regard to investigating intrusions into NASA computer networks. CCD successes include joint investigations with U.S. and foreign counterparts that resulted in arrests, indictments and convictions of hackers located in Venezuela, Italy, Turkey, England, Portugal, Nigeria, and Romania.

NASA OIG special agent badges have a striking appearance, for at the center of each badge is the blue NASA logo. In addition to the badge each agent carries credentials which set out the agents law enforcement authority and contain a one inch by one inch head and shoulders picture of the agent. NASA OIG special agents are armed, have arrest authority and can execute search warrants. They receive their law enforcement training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. Their hands-on training at Glynco includes hand-to-hand combat, arrest techniques, small arms and shotgun training, high speed pursuit and skid techniques, water safety, interrogation techniques, surveillance training, and search warrant execution techniques. They also have an extensive classroom program at Glynco that includes criminal law, criminal procedure, and related disciplines. The classes contain Agents from various agencies, and the top graduate is designated the class honor graduate.