- Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump
Media Contact
Mike Wessler, Communications Director
Boston — State Auditor Suzanne Bump today issued an audit which found confidential information at risk of unauthorized access, use and disclosure at 12 state agencies.
Confidential and sensitive information, which included ages, financial records, and health and medical history, is at risk because agencies were not ensuring that the information contained on state-owned or state-leased electronic equipment was properly removed once the equipment was designated as surplus, worthless, or slated to be returned to vendors.
Awareness of and compliance with the policies of MassIT, the state’s lead technology agency, at individual executive offices and agencies is lacking. Auditor Bump called for the state agencies to better align their security and data removal policies and procedures with MassIT and also to improve their internal training and communication around them. Recommendations were also directed to MassIT to establish a timeframe of when confidential information should be removed and to require maintaining documentation of the removal.
The audit reviewed fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and involved work at the following executive departments and agencies: Massachusetts Department of Transportation; Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; Department of Public Health; Department of Youth Services; Department of Mental Health; Department of Industrial Accidents; Department of Revenue; Teachers’ Retirement System; Department of State Police; District Attorneys Association (DAA); and State Lottery Commission, as well as the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
In response to audit findings, several agencies are taking steps to improve their operations.
The Office of the State Auditor conducts performance audits of state government’s programs, departments, agencies, authorities, contracts, and vendors. With its reports, the OSA issues recommendations to improve accountability, efficiency, and transparency.
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