GAO Releases Testimony on Sensitive Information Risk

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released testimony regarding the continuing risk to sensitive information kept by federal agencies.

In highlights from the testimony, the GAO pointed out that "personally identifiable information about millions of Americans has been lost, stolen, or improperly disclosed, thereby exposing those individuals to loss of privacy, identity theft, and financial crimes."

With the passage of the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), in this testimony the GAO discussed:

• Security incidents reported at federal agencies
• Continued weaknesses in information security controls at major federal agencies
• Agencies' progress in performing key control activities, and
• Opportunities to enhance FISMA reporting and independent evaluations.

"For many years, GAO has reported that weaknesses in information security are a widespread problem with potentially devastating consequences," the Highlights of the testimony reads. "The wide range of incidents involving data loss or theft, computer intrusions, and privacy breaches underscore the need for improved security practices."