Press Release  Auditor Bump Highlights FY23 Priorities in Budget Testimony

Boston — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump testified today before the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in support of her fiscal year 2023 budget request, and offered insight into how she will be conducting audits of pandemic relief spending. 

“Whether it is equity in geography, business size or type, income, race, or any of a number of other factors, public trust requires that our distribution systems provide equitable access,” Bump said. “I know this is a priority of this legislature and it is also the desire of the U.S. Government Accountability Office that state auditors conduct performance audits with an equity emphasis,” Bump said.

A new initiative she detailed was the development of a more sophisticated IT audit unit to review and test the IT controls that protect the sensitive information, data, and financials of state agencies.

“In 2023, with more cyber threats than ever before, the digital security of government records is of top importance. Up to this point our office has been conducting performance audits in areas such as internal control policy and cybersecurity awareness and trainings, nearly all of which have found imperfect compliance with agencies’ protocols,” Bump said. “While this is good and important work, this office needs to become more expert and aggressive in auditing the performance of IT systems and ensuring compliance with national and international security standards. We need a team of well-trained IT professionals to be able to probe more deeply and test for system vulnerabilities.”

She requested $500,000 in new funding to launch the unit.

“During my tenure in the Auditor’s Office, I have come to understand that to be an effective voice for accountability, we must lead by example. My office’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year will allow us to do just that. It will commit us to strengthening our oversight work in areas of high-risk, putting equity at the forefront of our work, using data and technology to move us forward, and prioritizing the people and systems that make all this possible,” Bump said.

Bump’s full testimony as prepared for delivery is available HERE.

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