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GAO-25-108464 1 (2025-07-07)

handle is hein.gao/cfinoffr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 




      GAO US. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

441 G St. NW
Washington,  DC 20548


July 7, 2025

Mr. Aram  Moghaddassi
Chief Information Officer
Mr. Michael Russo
Chief Information Officer
Social Security Administration
6401  Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235

Chief Information  Officer Open  Recommendations: Social Security Administration

I am writing to you both with respect to your roles as the Chief Information Officers (CIO) of the
Social Security Administration (SSA). As an independent, non-partisan agency that works for
Congress,  GAO's  mission is to support Congress in meeting  its constitutional
responsibilities and help improve  the performance  and  ensure  the accountability of the
federal government.  Our  work includes investigating matters related to the use of public funds,
evaluating programs and  activities of the U.S. Government at the request of congressional
committees  and subcommittees  or on the initiative of the Comptroller General, and as required
by public laws or committee reports. Our duties include reporting our findings and
recommending   ways  to increase economy and  efficiency in government spending. The purpose
of this letter is to provide an overview of the open, publicly available GAO recommendations to
SSA  that call for the attention of the ClOs.

We  identified recommendations that relate to the C1Os' roles and responsibilities in effectively
managing  IT. They include strategic planning, investment management, and information
security. We have previously reported on the significance of the CIO's role in improving the
government's  performance  in IT and related information management functions.1 Your attention
to these recommendations  will help ensure the secure and effective use of IT at the agency.

Currently, SSA has 11 open  recommendations   that call for the attention of the ClOs. Each of
these recommendations   relates to a GAO High-Risk area: (1) Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the
Nation or (2) Improving IT Acquisitions and Management.2 In addition, GAO has designated one
of the 11 as a priority recommendation.3 Fully implementing these open recommendations  could


1See for example, GAO, Federal Chief Information Officers: Critical Actions Needed to Address Shortcomings and
Challenges in Implementing Responsibilities, GAO-18-93 (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 2, 2018).
2GAO, High-Risk Series: Heightened Attention Could Save Billions More and Improve Government Efficiency and
Effectiveness, GAO-25-107743 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 25, 2025).
3Priority recommendations are those that GAO believes warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or
agencies. They are highlighted because, upon implementation, they may significantly improve government
operations, for example, by realizing large dollar savings; eliminating mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or making
progress toward addressing a high-risk or duplication issue. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to
highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.


GAO-25-108464  SSA  CIO Recommendations


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