The Government Accountability Office has called on several agencies to account for all software application inventories in order to help fulfill additional cost reduction efforts.
GAO said Thursday it reviewed 24 Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 agencies and found that they complied with at least three of the four practices that would indicate an agency had complete software application inventories.
GAO discovered that only the Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department and the General Services Administration completed all four practices, nine agencies fully met three practices, six complied with two practices, two fulfilled one practice and three did not meet any practice.
Agencies that missed out on the practices cited their focus on major and high-risk investments as a reason, GAO says.
GAO adds that lack of action to for all applications is inconsistent with an Office of Management and Budget guidance on the implementation of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act.
“Not accounting for all applications also presents a security risk since agencies can only secure assets if they are aware of them,†the government watchdog says.
