Improvements are Needed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Processes for Monitoring Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States. There is no safe blood lead level in children, and there is no cure for lead poisoning. Therefore, it is important to prevent exposure to lead, especially among children.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (…
February 28, 2023
Report
#2021-OE-0011b
HUD’s Robotic Process Automation Program Was Not Efficient or Effective
We conducted this evaluation to assess the maturity of HUD’s Robotic process automation (RPA) activities and determine whether HUD had implemented related controls to address technology and program management risks. RPA is a software technology used to emulate human actions on a computer. RPA software programs, referred to as “bots,” can complete repetitive tasks quickly and consistently, freeing up employees to work on other, higher value…
February 17, 2023
Report
#2021-OE-0007
Assessment of HUD’s IT Infrastructure To Support Extensive Telework
We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) information technology (IT) infrastructure to support mandatory telework. During mandatory telework, more employees simultaneously needed remote access to HUD’s network and agency resources for an extended period, which presented unique risks and security requirements. While HUD is no longer operating under mandatory telework, understanding the challenges it faced is key to…
January 24, 2023
Report
#2023-FO-0008
HUD FY 2022 Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Evaluation Report
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) directs Inspectors General to conduct an annual evaluation of the agency information security program. FISMA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) establish information technology (IT) security guidance and standards for Federal agencies. We conducted this evaluation to assess the…
September 30, 2022
Report
#2022-OE-0001
Risk Indicators of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing Agencies
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are some of the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States. When lead-based paint peels and cracks, it results in lead-contaminated paint chips and dust. Children can be poisoned if they chew on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, eat flaking paint chips, or eat or breathe in…
September 28, 2022
Report
#2021-OE-0011a
Fiscal Year 2021 Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Evaluation Report
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) directs Inspectors General to conduct an annual evaluation of the agency information security program. FISMA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) establish information technology (IT) security guidance and standards for Federal agencies. We conducted this evaluation to assess the…
February 17, 2022
Report
#2021-OE-0001
Fiscal Year 2021 Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Evaluation Security Technical Testing Topic Brief
The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) requires all federal agencies to conduct independent security technical verification testing on a sampling of information systems annually. In conjunction with our fiscal year 2021 FISMA evaluation (2021-OE-0001), we conducted a targeted security testing assessment of sample systems that resulted in a Topic Brief. The objective of this application vulnerability testing was to…
February 15, 2022
Topic brief
#2021-OE-0001a
HUD’s Processes for Managing IT Acquisitions
We reviewed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) ability to effectively complete information technology (IT) acquisitions. HUD’s IT systems and its modernization plans depend heavily on contractors, yet HUD has historically faced significant challenges with implementing effective acquisition processes. Therefore, HUD’s acquisition capacity represents a key potential risk within HUD’s IT environment. We found that a lack…
November 17, 2021
Report
#2020-OE-0004
2021 Persistent IT Challenges and Issues Facing HUD
The brief provides an update to the original 2018 topic brief, and highlights key challenges faced by HUD in managing and improving its IT program. The brief is not based on new work, but is a summary of 83 reports and 788 recommendations from past HUD OIG and GAO reports. It discusses the present IT environment at HUD, previously identified and new IT-related challenges, and HUD’s efforts and progress in addressing these challenges.
Based on…
August 09, 2021
Topic brief
#2021-OE-0004
HUD IT Modernization Roadmap Evaluation Report
We reviewed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) information technology (IT) modernization roadmap. A significant number of HUD’s mission-essential applications have not been modernized, which presents multiple sources of risk. These applications are hosted on legacy information systems and mainframe platforms, which are operationally inefficient, increasingly difficult to secure, and costly to maintain. Historically,…
June 29, 2021
Report
#2021-OE-0003