Advanced search Help
Resource Type or Special Collection is GAO Reports & Testimony
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Small Business Administration: COVID-19 Loans Lack Controls and Are Susceptible to Fraud, Statement of William B. Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "SBA [Small Business Administration] has made or guaranteed more than 14.5 million loans and grants through PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] and EIDL [Economic Injury Disaster Loans], providing about $729 billion to help small businesses adversely affected by COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. However, the speed with which SBA implemented the programs may have increased their susceptibility to fraud. This testimony discusses fraud risks associated with SBA's PPP and EIDL programs. It is based largely on GAO's reports in June 2020 (GAO-20-625) and September 2020 (GAO-20-701) that addressed the federal response, including by SBA, to the economic downturn caused by COVID-19."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Shear, William B.
2020-10-01
-
Telecommunications: FCC Should Enhance Performance Goals and Measures for Its Program to Support Broadband Service in High-Cost Areas, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives
"Millions of Americans do not have access to broadband. Within the Universal Service Fund, FCC's [Federal Communications Commission] high-cost program provided about $5 billion in 2019 to telecommunications carriers to support broadband deployment in unserved areas where the cost to provide broadband service is high. In 2011, FCC established five performance goals and related measures for the high-cost program. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the high-cost program's performance goals and measures. This report examines: (1) the extent to which the program's performance goals and measures align with leading practices to enable the effective use of performance information and (2) the key challenges selected stakeholders believe FCC faces in meeting the program's goals."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
EPA Grants to Tribes: Additional Actions Needed to Effectively Address Tribal Environmental Concerns, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Hundreds of tribal environmental programs operate across the nation to protect human health and safeguard the environment. Many of these programs are supported, at least in part, by EPA grants. Some tribes have raised concerns that a lack of resources threatens their ability to operate tribal environmental programs. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review EPA grants to tribes. This report examines (1) the amount and types of grants EPA awarded to tribes for fiscal years 2014 through 2019; (2) how tribes used these grants; and (3) challenges EPA and tribes identified in addressing environmental concerns through grants, and EPA's actions to address these challenges. GAO reviewed laws, policies, and grant documentation; assessed EPA data on the types and amount of grants provided to tribes; and interviewed EPA officials as well as 10 tribes and one intertribal consortium selected to highlight different EPA regions and grant types, for nongeneralizable information about EPA grants and related challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Coast Guard Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Reduce Risk for the Offshore Patrol Cutter Program, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The Coast Guard--a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)--is planning to spend over $12 billion to acquire a fleet of 25 OPCs [Offshore Patrol Cutter]. This is the component's highest investment priority and will help ensure a variety of missions, such as drug and migrant interdiction, are carried out in offshore waters once its aging Medium Endurance Cutters are decommissioned. After Hurricane Michael--a category 5 storm-- significantly disrupted the OPC shipbuilder's ability to continue work in October 2018, DHS granted up to $659 million in extraordinary contractual relief to the shipbuilder. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the status of the OPC acquisition program. This report examines, among other objectives, how the Coast Guard revised the OPC program after Hurricane Michael and the extent to which the program addressed major risks--particularly in the areas of design maturity, schedule, and cost-- before proceeding through key acquisition decisions both pre- and post-hurricane."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Federal-Aid Highways: States and Local Governments Reported Benefits to Federal Highway Fund Swapping, but Impacts Cannot Be Definitively Determined, Report to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides funding to states to build and maintain the nation's roadways and bridges. States must follow applicable federal standards such as laws that require contractors to pay locally prevailing wages. States can make federal funding available to local agencies for projects, but the ability of local agencies to comply with federal requirements is a well-documented risk area. Some states have established 'fund swapping' programs where local agencies swap proposed federal funding with the state in return for state dollars. FHWA does not directly oversee these programs, and no federal statutes or regulations authorize or prohibit fund swapping. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review swapping of federal-aid highway funds and its impact. In this report, GAO describes: (1) the extent to which states and local agencies engage in fund swapping; (2) factors affecting whether state and local agencies engage in federal fund swapping; and (3) what is known about the impact fund swapping has on prevailing wages paid to workers and other federal requirements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Federal Social Safety Net Programs: Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs, Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Each year millions of wage-earning adults participate in federally funded social safety net programs to help pay for basic needs including health care and food assistance. These individuals may work for employers in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, or be self-employed. They also may work full-time or part-time schedules. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review several aspects of this population. This report examines (1) what is known about the labor characteristics of working adult Medicaid enrollees and SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] recipients and (2) what is known about where adult Medicaid enrollees and SNAP recipients work."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Farm Programs: USDA Has Improved Its Completion of Eligibility Compliance Reviews, but Additional Oversight is Needed, Report to the Honorable Charles E. Grassley, President Pro Tempore, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Each crop year, USDA distributes billions of dollars in payments to farmers through programs that, by law, require payment recipients to be actively engaged in farming. These programs provide income support to producers of key crops such as corn, cotton, and soybeans. In September 2013, GAO [Government Accountability Office] found weaknesses in how FSA [Farm Service Agency] implemented regulations to ensure that farmers meet the criteria for being actively engaged and do not receive payments above program limits. GAO recommended that FSA set a plan and time frame for using its tracking system to monitor compliance reviews, which FSA did."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Biomedical Research: NIH Should Publicly Report More Information About the Licensing of Its Intellectual Property, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] labs conduct research that can contribute to the development of new life-saving drugs. HHS may grant rights to its inventions by licensing the patents to pharmaceutical companies that conduct the additional development activities and testing necessary to bring drugs to market. Public health experts and patients' rights advocates have raised concerns about the prices of drugs developed with federal support. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review HHS's management of its intellectual property. This report examines (1) the extent to which HHS-owned intellectual property has contributed to the development of FDA-approved drugs, (2) what is known about the licenses associated with FDA-approved drugs, (3) factors NIH prioritizes when licensing its inventions and information about licensing it makes public, and (4) steps HHS has taken to protect its rights."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Crude Oil Markets: Effects of the Repeal of the Crude Oil Export Ban, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Between 1975 and the end of 2015, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act directed a ban on nearly all exports of U.S. crude oil. This ban was not considered a significant policy issue when U.S. oil production was declining and import volumes were increasing. However, U.S. crude oil production roughly doubled from 2009 to 2015, due in part to a boom in shale oil production made possible by advancements in drilling technologies. In December 2015, Congress effectively repealed the ban, allowing the free export of U.S. crude oil worldwide. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to provide information on the effects of repealing the crude oil export ban. This report describes the effects of the repeal of the crude oil export ban on the domestic crude oil production, petroleum refining, and related sectors of the U.S. shipping industry."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Food Safety: CDC Could Further Strengthen Its Efforts to Identify and Respond to Foodborne Illnesses, Report to the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has estimated that each year, one in six people in the United States gets a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. CDC data show increases in the number of reported multistate foodborne illness outbreaks--groups of two or more linked cases in multiple states--in recent years. Such outbreaks are responsible for a disproportionate number of hospitalizations and deaths, compared with single-state outbreaks. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CDC's response to multistate foodborne illness outbreaks. This report examines (1) CDC's roles and responsibilities, (2) challenges that CDC faces and the extent to which it has addressed these challenges, and (3) the extent to which CDC evaluates its performance."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Consumer Privacy: Better Disclosures Needed on Information Sharing by Banks and Credit Unions, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Banks and credit unions maintain a large amount of personal information about consumers. Federal law requires that they have processes to protect this information, including data shared with certain third parties. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how banks and credit unions collect, use, and share such information and federal oversight of these activities. This report examines, among other things, (1) what personal information banks and credit unions collect, and how they use and share the information; (2) the extent to which they make consumers aware of the personal information they collect and share; and (3) how regulatory agencies oversee such collection, use, and sharing."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Federal Contracting: Actions Needed to Improve Department of Labor's Enforcement of Service Worker Wage Protections, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The SCA [Service Contract Act] ensures that service workers on certain federal contracts receive pay and benefits that reflect current employment conditions in their locality. From fiscal years 2014 through 2019, the U.S. government obligated over $720 billion on service contracts covered under the SCA. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review SCA implementation and enforcement. This report examines (1) what available data reveal about past SCA cases, (2) what challenges DOL [Department of Labor] reports facing in enforcing the SCA, and (3) how contracting agencies implement the SCA."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
-
Federal Criminal Restitution: Department of Justice Has Ongoing Efforts to Improve Its Oversight of the Collection of Restitution and Tracking the Use of Forfeited Assets
From the Document: "One of the goals of federal criminal restitution is to restore victims of federal crimes to the position they occupied before the crime was committed. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for collecting restitution payments from defendants who have been ordered by a federal court to pay restitution as part of their sentences, and has delegated these activities to Financial Litigation Units (FLU) within each of its 94 U.S. Attorney's Offices (USAO). [...] The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 requires DOJ to evaluate its performance in seeking and recovering restitution. It also called for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to provide two reports a preliminary report and an update on the federal criminal restitution collection process. [...] Based on our findings, we recommended that the Attorney General: [1] Develop and implement performance measures and goals for each USAO related to the collection of restitution, and measure progress towards meeting those goals; and [2] In cases where forfeited assets were not used to compensate victims, gather information on reasons why forfeited assets were not used for victims, and, if warranted based on this information, take action to increase the use of forfeited assets to compensate eligible victims. This report addresses the Attorney General's implementation of the recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09-30
-
Veterans Community Care Program: Improvements Needed to Help Ensure Timely Access to Care, Statement of Sharon M. Silas, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In June 2019, VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] implemented its new community care program, the VCCP [Veterans Community Care Program], as required by the VA MISSION Act of 2018. This new program replaced or consolidated prior community care programs. Under the VCCP, VAMC [VA medical center] staff are responsible for community care appointment scheduling. This statement summarizes GAO's [Government Accountability Office] September 2020 report. It describes for the VCCP: (1) the appointment scheduling process that VA established for veterans, (2) the metrics VA used to monitor the timeliness of appointment scheduling, (3) VA's efforts to prepare VAMC staff for appointment scheduling, and (4) VA's efforts to determine VAMC staffing needs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Silas, Sharon M.
2020-09-30
-
Intellectual Property: CBP Has Taken Steps to Combat Counterfeit Goods in Small Packages but Could Streamline Enforcement, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Counterfeit goods infringe on IPR [intellectual property rights], and can harm the U.S. economy and threaten consumer safety. CBP [Customs and Border Protection], the U.S. agency tasked with enforcement against counterfeits at the border, has reported that the annual number of small packages sent to the U.S. since fiscal year 2013 more than doubled, and small packages seized often contain counterfeit goods. The European Union Intellectual Property Office noted similar economic and consumer safety impacts in Europe, as well as increases in counterfeit goods in small packages. GAO was asked to review IPR enforcement practices in other advanced economies, and the extent to which CBP could apply those practices. This report examines: (1) how elements of the EU and U.S. approaches to combating counterfeit goods in small packages compare, (2) any enforcement challenges posed by these goods, and (3) the extent to which CBP has taken steps to address these challenges. GAO reviewed agency documents; interviewed CBP and customs officials in the EU; and met with private sector stakeholders, such as express carriers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09-24
-
Cyber Diplomacy: State Has Not Involved Relevant Federal Agencies in the Development of Its Plan to Establish the Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies Bureau
From the Document: "The Department of State (State) leads U.S. government international efforts to advance the full range of U.S. interests in cyberspace, including by coordinating with other federal agencies, such as the Departments of Commerce (Commerce), Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), and the Treasury (Treasury), to improve the cybersecurity of the nation. [...] In June 2019, State notified Congress of its intent to establish a new Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) that would focus more narrowly on cyberspace security and the security aspects of emerging technologies. [...] This report examines the extent to which State involved other federal agencies in the development of its plan for establishing CSET. As part of our ongoing work on this topic, we are also continuing to monitor and review State's overall planning process for establishing this new bureau."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09-22
-
VA Acquisition Management: COVID-19 Response Strains Supply Chain While Modernization Delays Continue, Statement of Shelby S. Oakley, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually to meet the health care needs of about 9 million veterans. As of June 30, 2020, VA received about $19.6 billion in supplemental appropriations for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]-related needs. Due to longstanding issues with VA acquisition management, GAO [Government Accountability Office] added it to its High Risk List in 2019. This statement discusses how VA is meeting its needs for medical and surgical supplies during the pandemic and the status of ongoing efforts to modernize its supply chain. This statement is based on information from three reports issued from 2017-2020, a draft report on the MSPV [Medical-Surgical Prime Vendor] program currently with VA for comment, and preliminary observations from an ongoing review of VA's COVID-19 procurements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Oakley, Shelby S.
2020-09-16
-
Agriculture Spending: Opportunities Exist for USDA to Identify Successes and Challenges of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program to Inform Future Efforts
From the Document: "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused disruptions in the U.S. food supply chain, from the farms where raw agricultural commodities are produced to the food processing and distribution network that enables these commodities to be used by consumers. The closure of institutions (e.g., schools, restaurants, and hotels) made it difficult for agricultural producers to market their commodities, leading to the spoilage of crops, dumping of milk, and euthanization of livestock. As part of its response to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Through this program, USDA plans to purchase up to $3 billion in fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meat products; contract with distributors to package these products into family-sized boxes; and transport these boxes to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other nonprofits that will then provide the food boxes to persons in need. The program is implemented through USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service and involves about 200 contractors."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Morris, Stephen D.
2020-09-16
-
Veterans Affairs: VA Needs to Address Persistent IT Modernization and Cybersecurity Challenges, Statement of Carol C. Harris, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Economic Opportunity and Technology Modernization, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Document: "The use of IT [information technology] is crucial to helping VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] effectively serve the nation's veterans. The department annually spends billions of dollars on its information systems and assets--VA's budget for IT now exceeds $4 billion annually. However, over many years, VA has experienced challenges in managing its IT projects and programs, which could jeopardize its ability to effectively support key programs such as the Forever GI Bill. GAO [Government Accountability Office] has previously reported on these IT management challenges at VA. GAO was asked to testify on its prior IT work at VA. Specifically, this testimony summarizes results and recommendations from GAO's issued reports that examined VA's efforts in (1) modernizing VistA [Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture], a system for the Family Caregiver Program, and VBMS [Veterans Benefits Management System]; (2) implementing FITARA [Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act]; and (3) addressing cybersecurity issues. In developing this testimony, GAO reviewed its recently issued reports that addressed IT management issues at VA and GAO's biannual high-risk series. GAO also incorporated information on the department's actions in response to recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Harris, Carol C.
2020-09-16
-
2020 Census: Key Areas for Attention Raised by Compressed Timeframes, Statement of J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director, Strategic Issues, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Reform, U.S. House of Representatives
From the Testimony: "I am pleased to be here today to discuss the U.S. Census Bureau's (Bureau) progress in preparing for the 2020 Decennial Census. The Census is mandated by the Constitution and provides vital data for the nation. Census data are used, among other purposes, to apportion the seats of the U.S. House of Representatives; redraw congressional districts in each state; and allocate billions of dollars each year in federal financial assistance. Like the rest of the country, the Bureau has been required to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) national emergency. Resulting delays, compressed timeframes, implementation of untested procedures, and continuing challenges could undermine the overall quality of the count and escalate census costs. Further, compounding factors in some areas, including high rates of COVID-19 and weather events such as Hurricane Laura and wildfires, affect the Bureau's ability to use in-person methods for obtaining responses."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Mihm, J. Christopher
2020-09-10
-
Natural Disasters: Economic Effects of Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, and Irma
From the Document: "This report examines (1) estimates of the costs of damages caused by hurricanes and hurricanes' effects on overall economic activity and employment in the areas they affected, and (2) actions subsequently taken in those areas to improve resilience to future natural disasters."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09-10
-
Defense Real Property: DOD-Wide Strategy Needed to Address Control Issues and Improve Reliability of Records, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD manages one of the federal government's largest portfolios of real property. This engagement was initiated in connection with the statutory requirement for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to audit the U.S. government's consolidated financial statements. DOD's uncorrected deficiencies, including those affecting real property, prevent DOD from having auditable financial statements, one of the three major impediments preventing GAO from expressing an opinion on the accrual-based consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government. This report (1) identifies the real property control issues that independent public accountants reported that may affect the ability of the military services to establish and maintain accurate and complete real property records, (2) examines the extent to which DOD had a strategy to address the control issues, and (3) assesses the extent to which DOD provided guidance for the required E&C [existence and completeness] verifications during fiscal year 2019 and how each military service implemented the directive."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Conflict Minerals: Actions Needed to Assess Progress Addressing Armed Groups' Exploitation of Minerals, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Document: "Armed groups in eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] continue to commit severe human rights abuses and to profit from the exploitation of 'conflict minerals,' according to State. Provisions in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act required, among other things, that State, USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] , and the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] take certain actions to promote peace and security. In 2011, State created the U.S. conflict minerals strategy in consultation with USAID to address armed groups' exploitation of conflict minerals. In 2012, the SEC also promulgated regulations containing disclosure and reporting requirements for companies that use conflict minerals from covered countries. The act also included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to annually assess, among other things, the SEC regulations' effectiveness in promoting peace and security. In this report, GAO examines, among other things, how companies responded to the SEC conflict minerals disclosure rule when filing in 2019 and the extent to which State and USAID assessed progress toward the U.S. conflict minerals strategy's objectives and goal. GAO analyzed a generalizable sample of SEC filings, reviewed documents, and interviewed U.S. officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Nuclear Weapons: NNSA Should Further Develop Cost, Schedule, and Risk Information for the W87-1 Warhead Program, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The Department of Defense (DOD) and NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] restarted a program in fiscal year 2019 to replace the capabilities of the aging W78 nuclear warhead with the W87-1. NNSA made key design decisions for this weapon from 2010 until the program was paused in 2014. NNSA estimated in December 2018 that the W87-1 would cost $8.6 billion to $14.8 billion, which could make it the most expensive warhead modernization program to date. NNSA plans to newly manufacture the entire warhead, including the two major nuclear components, called the primary and secondary, using facilities it is modernizing or repurposing. You asked us to examine plans for the W87-1 warhead. This report examines, among other things, the extent to which NNSA (1) considered cost estimates in prior design decisions for the W87-1 and the potential effects of remaining design decisions on program cost, and (2) will be able to produce sufficient numbers of key nuclear components to meet W87-1 production needs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Federal Property: Formal Policies Could Enhance FDA's Property Management Efforts, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Three FDA [Food and Drug Administration] regulatory centers have primary responsibility for ensuring human medical products' safety, security, and effectiveness. FDA uses personal property and real property (e.g., buildings) to help achieve this oversight mission. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to examine FDA's expenses related to property at the three centers and evaluate FDA's ability to further its mission through management of those assets. Among other things, this report: (1) identifies the funds FDA obligated for these centers, and (2) assesses FDA's use of quality information to manage the centers' personal property."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Gas Transmission Pipelines: Interstate Transportation of Natural Gas is Generally Reliable, but FERC Should Better Identify and Assess Emerging Risks, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The interstate transmission pipeline system transports natural gas from production areas to large-volume customers, such as gas distribution companies, which provide natural gas to millions of residential and commercial consumers. Interruptions in the service provided by transmission pipelines can have serious effects, such as when about 7,000 homes and businesses in Rhode Island went without heat for a week in January 2019. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal oversight of service interruptions involving interstate natural gas transmission pipelines. This report examines: (1) service interruptions on these pipelines and (2) emerging risks and the extent to which FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] identifies and assesses these risks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Information Security and Privacy: HUD Needs a Major Effort to Protect Data Shared with External Entities, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "To administer housing, community investment, and mortgage loan programs, HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development] collects a vast amount of sensitive personal information and shares it with external entities, including federal agencies, contractors, and state, local, and tribal organizations. In 2016, HUD reported two incidents that compromised sensitive information. House Report 115-237, referenced by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to evaluate HUD's information security framework for protecting information within these programs. The objectives were to (1) assess the effectiveness of HUD's policies and procedures for overseeing the security and privacy of sensitive information exchanged with external entities; and (2) determine the extent to which HUD was able to identify external entities that process, store, and share sensitive information with applicable systems."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Cybersecurity: Clarity of Leadership Urgently Needed to Fully Implement the National Strategy, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Increasingly sophisticated cyber threats have underscored the need to manage and bolster the cybersecurity of key government systems and the nation's cybersecurity. The risks to these systems are increasing as security threats evolve and become more sophisticated. GAO [Government Accountability Office] first designated information security as a government-wide high-risk area in 1997. This was expanded to include protecting cyber critical infrastructure in 2003 and protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information in 2015. In 2018, GAO noted that the need to establish a national cybersecurity strategy with effective oversight was a major challenge facing the federal government. GAO was requested to review efforts to protect the nation's cyber critical infrastructure. The objectives of this report were to (1) describe roles and responsibilities of federal entities tasked with supporting national cybersecurity, and (2) determine the extent to which the executive branch has developed a national strategy and a plan to manage its implementation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Nation's Fiscal Health: Effective Use of Fiscal Rules and Targets, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Our nation faces serious challenges at a time when the federal government is highly leveraged in debt by historical norms. The imbalance between revenue and spending built into current law and policy have placed the nation on an unsustainable long-term fiscal path. Fiscal rules and targets can be used to help frame and control the overall results of spending and revenue decisions that affect the debt. GAO was asked to review fiscal rules and targets. This report (1) assesses the extent to which the federal government has taken action to contribute to long-term fiscal sustainability through fiscal rules and targets, and (2) identifies key considerations for designing, implementing, and enforcing fiscal rules and targets in the U.S. GAO compared current and former U.S. fiscal rules to literature on the effective use of rules and targets; reviewed CBO [Congressional Budget Office] reports and relevant laws; and interviewed experts. GAO conducted case studies of national fiscal rules in Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
-
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Treasury Needs to Improve Tracking of Financial Sector Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Efforts, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "For decades, the federal government has taken steps to protect the nation's critical infrastructures. The financial services sector's reliance on information technology makes it a leading target for cyber-based attacks. Recent high-profile breaches at commercial entities have heightened concerns that data are not being adequately protected. Under the Comptroller General's authority, GAO [Government Accountability Office] initiated this review to (1) describe the key cyber-related risks facing the financial sector; (2) describe steps the financial services industry is taking to share information on and address risks to its sector; and (3) assess steps federal agencies are taking to enhance the security and resilience of the sector. GAO analyzed relevant reports and information to determine risks and mitigation efforts and compared agency efforts against federal policies and guidance. GAO also interviewed officials at 16 private sector entities, two self-regulatory organizations, and eight federal agencies, including the Department of the Treasury."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
