The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inspector general is recommending the department’s chief information officer to improve the management of modernization initiatives and create risk-rating procedures for information technology investments.
The DHS Office of the IG said in a report released Aug. 10th that DHS components “remain hindered in their ability” to deliver up-to-date technologies to personnel and efficiently handle programs involving cloud computing, IT modernization and data center migration.
According to the report, not all DHS components adopted cloud-based systems and consolidated data centers in line with the department’s 2019-2023 IT strategy. DHS also failed to leverage the Modernizing Government Technology Act to accelerate IT modernization programs, the OIG said. The report states that pursuing funding under the legislation will enable DHS to prevent reliance on outdated and legacy IT systems.
“DHS has not made sufficient progress in replacing or augmenting these IT systems due to ineffective planning and inexperience in executing complex IT modernization efforts,” the OIG noted.
“Until DHS addresses these issues, it will continue to face significant challenges to accomplish mission operations efficiently and effectively.”