Federal Reports

This report summarizes the following top management and performance challenges facing the Department of Commerce in FY 2025: (I) Modernizing Technology and Systems (Maximizing Cybersecurity and IT Security, Modernizing IT Systems and Operations, and Integrating AI and Other Emerging Technologies Safely); (II) Providing Core Services and Data (Ensuring Secure, Fair International Trade, Maintaining and Improving NOAA Operations and Services, Safeguarding Intellectual Property and Fostering Innovation, and Ensuring Quality Population Data); and (III) Managing Spending (Strengthening Oversight in Response to Dramatic Growth, Strengthening Oversight of the Hollings MEP Program, Managing Major Broadband Grant Programs, Managing and Overseeing CHIPS Funding, Overseeing the NPSBN Program, and Overseeing NIST Facility Improvement Project Contracts)

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act requires Inspectors General to conduct periodic assessments of agency purchase and travel card programs to analyze the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous transactions. For fiscal year 2024, we concluded the risk for these transactions was low, and therefore, we do not currently plan to conduct an audit of the Agency’s charge card programs.

This report represents our current assessment of the U.S. Small Business Administration's programs and activities that pose significant risks, including those that are particularly vulnerable to fraud, waste, error, mismanagement, or inefficiencies. The Challenges are not presented in order of priority, as we believe that all are critical management or performance issues.

Management and performance challenges facing the Commission and briefly assesses management's progress

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) provides a comprehensive framework for establishing and ensuring the effectiveness of managerial, operational, and technical controls over information technology (IT) that supports Federal operations and assets and provides a mechanism for improved oversight of Federal agency information security programs. FISMA requires the head of each agency to implement policies and procedures to cost-effectively reduce IT security risks to an acceptable level. FISMA requires agency program officials, Chief Information Officers (CIO)s, Chief Information Security Officers (CISO)s, senior agency officials for privacy, and inspectors general to conduct annual reviews of the agency’s information security program.