The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

The Dept. of the Treasury relies heavily on information systems -- & on the public¿s trust in its work. Information security is therefore critical to Treasury operations. In support of its annual audit of the govt.¿s financial statements, the author assessed the effectiveness of: (1) Treasury¿s information security controls in protecting the confidentiality, integrity, & availability of the department¿s systems & data; & (2) Treasury¿s implementation of its departmentwide information security program. In assessing the adequacy of Treasury¿s information security program, the author focused on the effectiveness of its departmentwide policies & processes, rather than on bureau-specific directives & guidance. Includes recommendations. Charts & tables.

Information Security: Progress Made, but Weaknesses at the Internal Revenue Service Continue to Pose Risks