Government Accountability Office Archives

Man standing on destructing American flag and looking through telescope against blue background

Lawmakers seek watchdog review of federal hacking of Americans

Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Greg Casar want a GAO probe on the government’s use of spyware and other sophisticated hacking tools and authorities.

Aug 21, 2026 By Tim Starks

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., speaks at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2024. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Lawmakers spring to save ID theft services for OPM breach victims, with expiration looming

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., hope to make the services permanent before they end next month.

Aug 4, 2026 By Tim Starks

The GAO found 80 out of 117 rules that “either contain the same kind of reporting requirement applicable to a sector or the same reporting requirement as at least one other regulation.” (Getty Images)

Most federal cybersecurity reporting rules are duplicative, study finds

The Government Accountability Office looked at 117 rules across 37 agencies and found 70% had reporting requirements that were overlapping.

Jul 22, 2026 By Tim Starks

A sign marks the location of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) headquarters building on January 29, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images)

Program to rotate cyber personnel through federal agencies saw little use

The number of people who got approval to be in the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce program was in the single digits, GAO found.

Jul 16, 2026 By Tim Starks

The front of the U.S. Treasury building on Jan. 3, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by J.David Ake/Getty Images)

Treasury asks whether terrorism risk insurance program should bolster cyber coverage

A Federal Register notice seeks public comment on how cyber is covered within a 2002 law and program.

Mar 24, 2026 By Tim Starks

Sean Plankey, of Pennsylvania, responds to questioning during Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearings to examine his nomination to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, of the Department of Homeland Security, in the Dirksen Senate office building, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday July 24, 2025. (Mattie Neretin/CNP/Sipa USA)

Sean Plankey nomination to lead CISA appears to be over after Thursday vote

A hold from Sen. Rick Scott, R- Fla., over a Coast Guard contract appears to be the major reason why.

Dec 4, 2025 By Tim Starks

F5 vulnerability highlights weak points in DHS’s CDM program

The Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program is oft-praised, but there are areas where it doesn’t yet excel, as a recent CISA emergency directive shows.

Oct 23, 2025 By Tim Starks

The U.S. Department of State is seen on Jan. 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Cyber experts, Democrats urge Trump administration not to break up cyber coordination in State reorg

Splitting up the Cyberspace and Digital Policy bureau undercuts efforts to streamline cyber efforts at the department and undermines coordination in the U.S. and abroad, critics of…

Apr 29, 2025 By Derek B. Johnson

The White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Caroline Purser/Getty Images)

GAO reminds White House of cyber backlog

An 80-page report from the government watchdog details the cybersecurity policy to-do list for the White House.

Jun 13, 2024 By Christian Vasquez

Congress needs to step in on cybersecurity harmonization, White House official says

ONCD’s Nicholas Leiserson endorses draft legislation from Sen. Gary Peters that would create an interagency committee to handle cyber regulations.

Jun 5, 2024 By Matt Bracken