State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

States Unconcerned About 18F

Government Technology: 18F — a federal agency that works to improve federal IT management and reshape the way government buys, builds and shares technology — was recently found to have disregarded several IT security rules and other governmental procedures. The agency also has collaborated with state governments to assist with improving their services, but prominent officials involved with the state end of that work say they are not concerned about similar issues with any state project 18F helped complete.

The report, which was issued by the General Services Administration's Office of Inspector General (OIG), found that 18F's lax approach to following security rules and other procedures at times made sensitive personal information vulnerable to security breaches. The report attributed this to a combination of 18F’s fast growth, miscommunications, and a generally lax attitude toward following bureaucratic rules.

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