A new watchdog report shows the U.S. Government Publishing Office failed to implement a policy or a contingency plan to run its information technology infrastructure following a disaster. The agency is at risk of losing access to critical data and IT systems when hit by any disruption due to lack of emergency planning, the GPO inspector general said in the report issued Thursday.
GPO officials said ongoing systems testing delayed the process to finalize a contingency strategy. The IG report also shows that the office takes longer to remove security credentials of former employees and determine when employees have “conflicting roles and responsibilities.†The watchdog said such issues could put GPO’s IT systems at risk of hacking or interference.Â
Government auditors first reported a lack of post-disaster plans in 2011. The agency admitted it has yet to finalize a contingency strategy to secure and operate its IT infrastructure following a disaster.
